International sanctions are actions taken by countries against others for political reasons, either unilaterally or multilaterally.

There are several types of sanctions.
Diplomatic sanctions - the reduction or removal of diplomatic ties, such as embassies.
Economic sanctions - typically a ban on trade, possibly limited to certain sectors such as armaments, or with certain exceptions (such as food and medicine)
Military sanctions - military intervention
Sport sanctions - preventing one country's people and teams from competing in international events.

Economic sanctions are distinguished from trade sanctions, which are applied for purely economic reasons, and typically take the form of tariffs or similar measures, rather than bans on trade.