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At the same time, it opposes Western sanctions on Russia and has close ties with both Moscow and Kyiv, its Black Sea neighbors. But Ankara has pledged that international sanctions will not be circumvented in Turkey. Washington is also concerned about evasion of U.S. sanctions on Iran. While in the United Arab Emirates, Nelson will note the "poor sanctions compliance" in the country, the spokesperson said. Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis and Humeyra Pamuk Editing by Don Durfee and Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/2] The American flag flies over the U.S. Treasury building in Washington, U.S., January 20, 2023. But Ankara has pledged that international sanctions will not be circumvented in Turkey. Washington is also concerned about evasion of U.S. sanctions on Iran. While in the United Arab Emirates, Nelson will note the "poor sanctions compliance" in the country, the spokesperson said. In Oman, Nelson will meet with counterparts to discuss cooperation on countering illicit finance, including terrorist financing, the department said.

REUTERS/Lisi Niesner/File PhotoWASHINGTON/BRUSSELS, Jan 23 (Reuters) - The West on Monday stepped up pressure on Iran over its crackdown on protests as the United States, European Union and United Kingdom imposed fresh sanctions on Tehran. 'BRUTAL REPRESSION'The European Union imposed sanctions on more than 30 Iranian officials and organizations, including units of the Revolutionary Guards, blaming them for a "brutal" crackdown on protesters and other human rights abuses. Those sanctions targeted units and senior officials of the IRGC across Iran, including in Sunni-populated areas where the state crackdown has been intense, a list published in the EU's Official Journal showed. Britain also imposed sanctions on more Iranian individuals and entities on Monday over the country's "brutal repression" of its people. Britain has now imposed 50 new sanctions against Iran since Amini's death, the foreign office said.

☆ U.S. slaps sanctions on Iran officials over protest crackdown
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Daphne Psaledakis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A woman chats during a protest against gender-based violence in Iran, in front of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) office in San Francisco, California, U.S., November 30, 2022. REUTERS/Amy OsborneWASHINGTON, Dec 21 (Reuters) - The United States imposed sanctions on Iranian officials on Wednesday, including the prosecutor general and key military officials, stepping up pressure on Tehran over its crackdown on protests. The move is the latest Washington response to the Iranian crackdown on unrest after the death of young Iranian Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini in morality police custody in September. The U.S. Treasury Department in a statement said it imposed sanctions on Mohammad Montazeri, Iran’s prosecutor general, accusing him of directing courts in September to issue harsh sentences to many arrested during protests. Washington also imposed sanctions on two senior officials of Iran’s Basij Resistance Forces, a militia affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards that has been widely deployed during the crackdown, and two Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) officials.

☆ U.S. Sanctions Russia’s Rosbank, Subsidiaries of VTB
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( David Smagalla | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +3 min

The U.S. government has sanctioned Russian lender Rosbank and has expanded sanctions against VTB, one of the country’s largest banks, in a move to further limit the Russian government’s efforts to fund its war in Ukraine. The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control on Thursday announced sanctions against 17 subsidiaries of VTB, building on sanctions placed on the parent company in February, after Russia invaded Ukraine. The Treasury cited the importance of Rosbank to the Russian government, given that the lender is considered a “systemically important credit institution” in the country. The U.S. sanctions follow similar sanctions of Rosbank by the U.K. and Canada earlier this year. Nornickel wasn’t included in the State Department’s sanctions package.

☆ U.S. sanctions people, entities over China-based illegal fishing
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, Dec 9 (Reuters) - The United States on Friday imposed sanctions on people and companies, including Nasdaq-listed Pingtan Marine Enterprises, Ltd., over what Washington says are human rights abuses linked to China-based illegal distant water fishing. The U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Li Zhenyu and Xinrong Zhuo, both Chinese nationals, and 10 entities they control, including Dalian Ocean Fishing Co., Ltd. and Pingtan Marine Enterprise, Ltd. (PME), the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said in a statement. It also targeted 157 China-flagged fishing vessels linked to those entities, it said. The designation of PME marks the first time the U.S. has imposed sanctions on an entity listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange. Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis and Michael Martina; Editing by Andrew HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ U.S. Sanctions Turkish Businessman It Says Brokered Oil Sales for Iran’s Military
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Ian Talley | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +2 min

The Biden administration on Thursday levied sanctions against several Turkish businessmen and more than two dozen Turkish companies that officials said were selling oil worth hundreds of millions of dollars for Iran’s terror-listed military unit. Newsletter Sign-up WSJ | Risk and Compliance Journal Our Morning Risk Report features insights and news on governance, risk and compliance. PREVIEW Mr. Ayan owns or controls the sanctioned companies, including the Turkish energy conglomerate ASB Group, which launders proceeds from the oil sales into Europe and Asia under an agreement he allegedly reached in 2017 with Iranian officials, the Treasury said. Neither Mr. Ayan, contacted through ASB Group, nor the firm immediately responded to a request for comment. Daniel Roth, a research director for the advocacy group United Against Nuclear Iran, said the Treasury’s action represented a “giant stride” toward thwarting the IRGC’s illicit oil exports.

☆ U.S. and Asian allies impose new sanctions on North Korea after ICBM test
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

South Korea’s foreign ministry announced sanctions on seven other individuals, including a Singaporean and a Taiwanese, and eight entities. The latest sanctions follow a Nov. 18 ICBM test by North Korea, part of a record-breaking spate of more than 60 missile launches this year. There are also concerns that the country may be about to resume nuclear weapons testing, which has been suspended since 2017. Decades of U.S.-led sanctions have failed to halt North Korea’s increasingly sophisticated missile and nuclear weapon programs. “Targeting senior officials inside North Korea responsible for WMD and missile activities and working with South Korea and Japan are important, but it is an inadequate and symbolic response to 60+ missile tests, including 8 ICBM tests,” said Anthony Ruggiero, who headed North Korea sanctions efforts under former President Donald Trump.

☆ U.S. sanctions 3 people following string of North Korean missile launches
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Amanda Macias | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

People watch a TV news program reporting on North Korea test-firing a newly developed tactical guided weapon on April 17, 2022 in Seoul, South Korea. Treasury added that these officials "personally attended numerous ballistic missile launches since at least 2017." The sanctions follow renewed North Korean ballistic missile tests. So far this year, Pyongyang has launched eight intercontinental ballistic missiles and carried out 60 ballistic missile tests. In October, North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles.

☆ U.S. sanctions Iranian officials amid Tehran's ongoing crackdown on protests
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Nov 23 (Reuters) - The United States on Wednesday targeted three Iranian security officials under human rights-related sanctions, the U.S. Treasury Department said, citing Tehran's ongoing crackdown on protesters in Kurdish-majority areas. The sanctions hit two officials in the Kurdish city of Sanandaj, Governor Hassan Asgari and Alireza Moradi, the commander of the city's law enforcement forces. The Treasury said Asgari and other officials provided a false cause of death for a 16-year-old protester reportedly killed by security forces. Iran's mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The sanctions freeze any U.S. assets of those designated and generally bar Americans from dealing with them.

Magnitsky sanctions aim to punish those accused of corruption or enabling human rights abuses. The U.S. Treasury Department, which is responsible for Magnitsky sanctions, declined to comment. U.S. officials in Brazil and the United States have already begun the process of identifying and investigating specific targets, the source said, with potential punishments ranging from visa blacklists to Global Magnitsky sanctions. It is unclear when or if the United States could sanction specific targets, as the investigations can take a while. Targeting environmental criminals with Global Magnitsky sanctions is unusual but not unprecedented.

☆ U.S. imposes new sanctions over Iran sanctions evasion, targets Chinese firms
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Daphne Psaledakis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Washington has increasingly targeted Chinese companies over the export of Iran's petrochemicals as the prospects of reviving the nuclear pact have dimmed. "The United States will continue to implement sanctions against those actors facilitating these sales." Iran's mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Those that engage in certain transactions with the companies also risk being hit with sanctions. Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis; Editing by Andrea Ricci and Jon BoyleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Russia Sanctions Disrupting Putin’s Military Efforts, Treasury Official Says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Dylan Tokar | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +3 min

Sanctions on Russia have succeeded in disrupting the country’s military manufacturing industry and are squeezing its economy, a senior U.S. Treasury Department official said. Newsletter Sign-up WSJ | Risk and Compliance Journal Our Morning Risk Report features insights and news on governance, risk and compliance. “We’ve seen how fragile the supply chain is, frankly—we learned this during Covid—for his defensive efforts on the battlefield,” Mr. Nelson said, referring to Mr. Putin. Amid the unprecedented sanctions program against Russia and ongoing pressure campaigns against Iran, Venezuela and other nations, the Treasury has been reviewing more broadly how it uses sanctions. One measure the U.S. Treasury is taking to ensure its program remains potent is by hiring a chief sanctions economist to provide economic analysis around prospective sanctions actions, Mr. Nelson said.

☆ U.S. sanctions senior employees of Iranian state-run media
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Daphne Psaledakis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, Nov 16 (Reuters) - The United States on Wednesday sanctioned senior employees of an Iranian state-run media corporation it accused of being a "critical tool" in Iran's suppression and censorship of its people, stepping up pressure on Tehran over its crackdown on protests. The U.S. Treasury Department in a statement said it imposed sanctions on six senior employees of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), which was designated by Washington in 2013. "The United States remains committed to supporting the Iranian people as they continue their peaceful protests," he said, adding that Washington would continue to hold the Iranian government accountable for human rights violations and censorship. Those that engage in certain transactions with the targeted employees also risk being hit with sanctions. Iran, which said Amini's death was due to pre-existing conditions, has accused its enemies, including the United States, of fomenting the unrest to destabilise the country.

REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins/File PhotoHOUSTON, Nov 9 (Reuters) - A grounded oil supertanker under U.S. Treasury Department sanctions being refloated in Indonesia is filled with Venezuelan fuel, according to vessel monitoring services. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control last week imposed sanctions on the stranded tanker, Young Yong, for its part in an international oil smuggling network that Washington said supports Hezbollah and Iran's Quds Force. Both tankers had departed between late July and early August carrying fuel oil supplied by Venezuela's state-run oil firm PDVSA, according to internal company documents seen by Reuters and TankerTrackers.com, which confirmed the vessels' identities. The Panama-flagged Eagle Brenda, identified on PDVSA shipping schedules as "Eagle I," also carried some 1 million barrels of Venezuelan fuel oil, the documents showed. The tanker was in Venezuelan waters at least twice since last year, where it loaded Venezuelan crude and fuel for exports, according to PDVSA's schedules and TankerTrackers.com.

☆ U.S. slaps sanctions on Burmese arms dealer, company
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, Nov 8 (Reuters) - The United States imposed sanctions on Tuesday on a Burmese arms dealer and his company for facilitating arms deals and weapons purchases on behalf of Myanmar's military, the Treasury Department said. The action against Kyaw Min Oo and his Sky Aviator Company Ltd, which came along with newly issued European Union sanctions, came on the second anniversary of the last general election in Myanmar in 2020, which was overturned by a military coup the following February, it said. "Kyaw Min Oo profits from the violence and suffering the military has inflicted on the people of Burma since the military coup,” said Brian Nelson, the Treasury undersecretary for financial intelligence. Sky Aviator has facilitated arms deals on behalf of the Myanmar military, including the importation of aircraft parts, it said. Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Andrea RicciOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

REUTERS/Ralph Tedy Erol/File PhotoNov 4 (Reuters) - The United States and Canada on Friday imposed sanctions on two Haitian politicians, including the president of the country's Senate, as Washington accused them of abusing their positions to traffic drugs and collaborate with gang networks in the country. The sanctions target Haitian Senate President Joseph Lambert and Youri Latortue, who served as president of the chamber from 2017-2018, the U.S. Treasury Department and Canada's foreign ministry said in separate statements. The sanctions essentially freeze any assets Lambert and Latortue may hold in the United States or Canada and generally bar Americans from dealing with them. Lambert, Latortue and Prime Minister Ariel Henry's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Canada and the United States did not identify which Haitian gangs it believed were tied to the officials.

☆ U.S. imposes sanctions on oil smuggling network backing Iran's Quds Force, Hezbollah
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Daphne Psaledakis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, Nov 3 (Reuters) - The United States on Thursday issued sanctions against an international oil smuggling network it said supports Hezbollah and Iran's Quds Force, targeting dozens of people, companies and tankers as Washington sought to mount pressure on Tehran. The latest U.S. move against Iranian oil smuggling comes as efforts to revive Iran's 2015 nuclear deal have stalled and ties between the Islamic Republic and the West are increasingly strained as Iranians keep up anti-government protests. Iran's mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The move targeted a Gulf-based network that the Treasury said as of mid-2022 were blending and exporting Iranian oil. The 2015 agreement limited Iran's uranium enrichment activity to make it harder for Tehran to develop nuclear arms in return for lifting international sanctions.

☆ Oklahoma couple accused of killing 6 kids in murder-suicide faced financial pressures
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

BROKEN ARROW, Okla. — An Oklahoma couple considered “primary suspects” in last week’s killings of their six children faced growing financial pressures and the husband experienced recurring pain from a workplace head injury, family members say. “I turned on the 6 o’clock news, and they said there had been a fire near Hickory and Galveston in Broken Arrow. Medical examiners at the scene of a house fire in Broken Arrow, Okla. on Thursday. I just don’t understand why he ended up in that situation. I talk to God all the time — and I just don’t understand.”

☆ U.S. imposes sanctions on Iran-based foundation over Salman Rushdie bounty
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Daphne Psaledakis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Oct 28 (Reuters) - The United States on Friday imposed sanctions on an Iranian foundation it accused of issuing a multi-million dollar bounty for the killing of novelist Salman Rushdie, who was attacked at an event in August. Rushdie, 75, lost sight in one eye and the use of one hand following an attack on stage at a literary event in western New York in August, his agent said. Friday's action freezes any U.S. assets belonging to the foundation and generally bars Americans from dealing with it. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, then Iran's supreme leader, 33 years ago issued a fatwa, or religious edict, calling on Muslims to assassinate Rushdie a few months after his novel "The Satanic Verses" was published. Rushdie, who was born in India to a Kashmiri Muslim family, has lived with a bounty on his head, and spent nine years in hiding under British police protection.

☆ Biden admin imposes sanctions on Iranian officials over 'brutal' crackdown on protests
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Dan De Luce | Dan De Luce Is A Reporter For The Nbc News Investigative Unit. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

The Biden administration imposed sanctions on 14 Iranian officials after a violent crackdown on nationwide protests in Iran, vowing to hold the regime accountable for its "brutal suppression" of dissent, officials said Wednesday. The sustained protests, which have spread to universities and some factories and teachers associations, mark an unprecedented challenge to the regime’s authority. But officials still say they remain open to restoring the deal, which imposes limits on Iran’s nuclear program in return for an easing of economic sanctions. The administration views the protests as a moral issue, a question of "right and wrong," the official said. The package of sanctions unveiled Wednesday designated Hossein Modarres Khiabani, the governor of Sistan and Baluchistan province, where U.S. officials say some of the worst violence against protesters has unfolded.

☆ U.S. mining sanctions take aim at Nicaragua's Ortega
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks about student debt relief at Delaware State University in Dover, Delaware, U.S., October 21, 2022. REUTERS/Leah MillisOct 24 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden's administration ratcheted up economic pressure on Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega's government on Monday through a series of steps targeting the country's mining, gold and other sectors. Biden signed an executive order that includes the authority to ban U.S. companies from doing business in Nicaragua's gold industry, while U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions the head of Nicaragua's mining authority, along with another top government official, the department said in a statement. The order's expanded sanctions powers could also be used to block new U.S. investment in certain other sectors in Nicaragua, the importation of certain Nicaraguan products or the exportation of certain items to Nicaragua, it added. The two sanctions announced on Monday target Nicaragua's General Directorate of Mines, a unit of the Nicaraguan Ministry of Energy and Mines that manages most mining operations in the country, and Reinaldo Gregorio Lenin Cerna Juarez, a close Ortega confidante, Treasury said.

☆ U.S. Sanctions Shipping Firm, Individuals for Alleged Oil Exports to North Korea
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-07 | by ( Mengqi Sun | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +2 min

The U.S. imposed sanctions against a shipping company and two individuals for allegedly exporting oil to North Korea, which the U.S. said supports Pyongyang’s nuclear and military programs. The U.S. said the Courageous, also known as the Sea Prima, has participated in several deliveries of refined petroleum to North Korea, including ship-to-ship transfers to North Korean vessels that violated United Nations sanctions. North Korea faces sanctions from the U.S. and the U.N., including restrictions on its import of petroleum products. Ship-to-ship transfers have been identified as one way North Korea circumvents these sanctions. PREVIEWFriday’s sanctions come after the U.S. Justice Department filed a criminal complaint against Mr. Kwek in April 2021 for allegedly conspiring to evade economic sanctions on North Korea and for conspiracy to money launder.

☆ U.S. Treasury Seeks Comment on Crypto’s Illicit Finance Risks
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( Mengqi Sun | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +3 min

The U.S. Treasury Department is seeking public comment on the possible illicit finance and national security risks posed by the use of digital assets, as part of the agency’s mandate under President Biden’s March executive order to study the development of cryptocurrency. The request for comment, issued Monday, also asks the public for suggestions to mitigate these risks by the deadline of Nov. 3. The Treasury, in a version of the request-for-comment document on the Federal Register website, said crypto has been used in sophisticated cybercrime-related financial networks and activity, including through ransomware. Newsletter Sign-up WSJ | Risk and Compliance Journal Our Morning Risk Report features insights and news on governance, risk and compliance. The request for comment comes as the crypto market sees another wave of volatility, adding to calls for greater regulatory oversight.

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