Tag Archives: Sanctions
1 May 2014
The New York Times reported that on Tuesday, the US blacklisted eight Chinese companies, a Dubai company and two Dubai executives for evading restrictions on transactions with Iran regarding weapons, oil and banking. The eight Chinese companies were used to conduct business with Iran by illicitly moving millions of dollars through US-based financial institutions. Additionally, the Dubai executives were accused of ‘shady and deceptive oil deals with Iran.’ This is the first significant enforcement of Iranian sanctions in three months and dispels the impression that relations between Iran and the US were beginning to normalise. (more…)
Source: The New York Times | U.S. Announces Actions to Enforce Iran Sanctions
4 March 2013
The sanctions regime imposed on Iran by the United States and the European Union impairs the delivery of drugs and medical equipment to Iran. Although the regime allows humanitarian trade, other laws restricting financial transactions with Iran make it impossible to implement that exception.
An Op-ed in The New York Times notes that although the Iranian government deserves criticism for poor allocation of scarce foreign currency resources and failing to act against corrupt practices, ‘the main culprit are the U.S. and European sanctions that regulate financial transactions with Iran.’ It concludes that ‘The West must relax and rationalize the terms of its sanctions regime against Iran to allow more medical goods into the country. If it doesn’t, more Iranian men, women and children will suffer needlessly’.
Source: Wilson Center | Sanctions and Medical Supply Shortages in Iran | by Siamak Namazi | February 2013
Source: The New York Times | Blocking Medicine to Iran
16 October 2012
The European Union (EU) is to impose new sanctions on Iran for its lack of cooperation in disclosing details about its nuclear program, which is suspected to be used as a cover for the development of nuclear weapons. The sanctions will likely include a ban of financial transactions between European and Iranian banks and certain trade bans. They follow earlier sanctions imposed by both the United States and the EU.
Source: BBC | EU imposes new sanctions on Iran
20 August 2012
According to former and current Iraqi and United States government officials and experts on the Iraqi banking sector, Iraq has been aiding Iran to circumvent international financial sanctions, imposed on Iran because of its nuclear program.
One bank, the Elaf Islamic Bank in Baghdad was barred from any dealings with the banking system of the United States. According to President Obama, this bank has ‘facilitated transactions worth millions of dollars on behalf of Iranian banks that are subject to sanctions for their links to Iran’s illicit proliferation activities’.
Iranian organizations gained, according to said sources, ‘effective control over at least four Iraqi commercial banks through Iraqi intermediaries’, giving Iran access to the international financial system.
Source: New York Times | U.S. Says Iraqis Are Helping Iran to Skirt Sanctions
15 November 2011
The regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday called for an emergency meeting of the Arab League after the 22-member organization voted to suspend the country’s membership by Wednesday if it does not comply with a peace plan to end the violence against anti-government demonstrators that has killed more than 3,500 since spring. Turkish, Qatari, Saudi and French diplomatic outposts were attacked after the vote Saturday, only the second of its kind in the history of the regional Arab League, with some members threatening to push for economic and political sanctions.
Source: http://www.nytimes.com