That they have the backing and blessing of the US government is the counter-argument to this. The US can almost unilaterally end this war if they want to.
US has a lot of both soft and hard power globally. If you don't treat their puppet state with deference (and do treat it as an outcast), you can face consequences. The current US admin is using this as a stick against its own citizens, even.
OK, but I still don't see how that's a counterargument to the proposition that "There is simply no excuse for blocking the entry of food into a region wholesale."
Oh, I reacted to GP's entire comment, not just the first sentence.
> US can almost unilaterally end this war if they want to