Yes there are obvious hurdles for people in “the west,” but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. I think the most obvious question is, would the OP relocate to another country if they were able to get a work visa? If yes, then sufficiently connected people, could absolutely make that happen. It would also immediately fix the issues around export sanctions. That’s in no way saying anyone could make it happen, but I have zero doubt that someone who could prowls HN.
There are many ways to having this occur legally, and I think it’s a bit unfair to immediately say this is completely and utterly illegal with no possible way to make it work. If anything, I’d expect the folks who prowl HN to be the exact kind of people to find a way to do it (without violating sanctions or facing jail time).
Addendum: I personally think this is cool, but I lack the resources to tackle the immediate problems or help bring it to market. I’d encourage the rest of you to offer meaningfully critiques or advice. Simply shouting “sanctions!” into the ether is neither of those. Those are a given and based on the replies from the OP thus far (which have all been downvoted to hell for no reason) they seem incredibly sincere. They’re just trying to figure out what they even can do and/or what possibilities even exist.
Good luck to the OP. This seems like a labor of love and I hope you find a way to make it work.