Meaning of Embargo?

The severing of access to a commodity by a warring government, intended to starve the enemy into submission. Utilizing the U.S.'s overwhelming superiority in oil production and refining, the Allies applied embargoes successfully in both world wars. The Arab position was too weak to implement a successful embargo in 1967, but was able to change world opinion about the Arab-Israeli dispute in 1973. Both Britain and the U.S. applied embargoes against Iran.