The story: A UN expert has completed a 12-day trip to Iran to investigate the impact of western sanctions on ordinary Iranians. Alena Douhan, the UN Special Rapporteur on negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights, said on her final day in the country that sanctions are a “violation of international law.” Her trip was nevertheless opposed by some Iranian hardline media outlets.

The coverage: Douhan visited Iran from May 7-18 on behalf of the UN Human Rights Council.

• According to the UN, the trip was aimed at examining “whether and to what extent” unilateral sanctions are impeding “the full realization of the rights set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights instruments.”...