US government sanctions 18 Iranian banks

[yota691]

US government sanctions 18 Iranian banks

New sanctions imposed by the US Treasury Department aim to deny the Iranian government funding. Iran says the move will hurt its ability to pay for medicine and food.

 

 

 

 

 

 Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin speaks at a news conference during the announcement of the Trump administration's restoration of sanctions on Iran, on Sept. 21, 2020, at the US State Department in Washington, DC. Photo by PATRICK SEMANSKY/POOL/AFP via Getty Images.

 

 

Oct 8, 2020

The United States announced new sanctions on Iranian banks on Thursday. Iran’s government said the measures will hurt its citizens.

The Department of the Treasury sanctioned 18 Iranian banks based on Executive Order 13902, which enables the US government to sanction sectors of the Iranian economy in order to deny the Iranian government funds. The US reasoning is that the money would be used to fund terrorism, Iranian proxies in the Middle East and Iran’s nuclear program. Iran denies that it is building a nuclear weapon.

“Our sanctions programs will continue until Iran stops its support of terrorist activities and ends its nuclear programs,” said Secretary of the Treasury Steve Mnuchin in a press release.

The Treasury Department also cited Executive Order 13382, which allows sanctions on entities pursuing weapons of mass destruction.

The sanctions designated Iranian banks the department described as “major.” Any assets the banks have in the United States can now be blocked. Anyone doing business with the banks could also be subject to legal action, according to the department.

The United States already maintains a variety of sanctions on Iran. The measures aim to deter Iran’s alleged pursuit of a nuclear weapon and its support for proxies that clash with the United States and its allies in Iraq, Lebanon and elsewhere.

The sanctions have had negative effects on Iran’s economy. Iran’s currency dipped to its lowest value ever this month amid the sanctions and the rampant COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

Mnuchin said the new sanctions do not bar humanitarian assistance from reaching the Iranian people. However, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a tweet that the new sanctions will hinder Iran’s ability to pay for food and medicine.

“Conspiring to starve a population is a crime against humanity,” said Zarif.

The decision may lead to new tensions between the United States and Europe on Iran. The designation of the banks could lead to penalties for European banks doing business with Iran that was previously allowed, according to The Associated Press.

The United States already differs from its European allies on the issue. The United Kingdom, France and Germany remain party to the Iran nuclear agreement that the Trump administration withdrew from in 2018. The three European states have opposed US efforts this year to reimpose sanctions on Iran that the 2015 deal removed.

[yota691]

US government announces seizure of 92 Iran-linked websites

The US seizure of the news sites allegedly connected to the Iranian government came before new US sanctions on Iranian banks.

 

 

 

 

 

 A screenshot shows the message received by visitors to Iran-linked sites seized by the FBI. Photo by US Department of Justice.

 

 

Oct 8, 2020

The US government seized the domains of 92 websites allegedly operated by the Iranian government, the Department of Justice announced Wednesday. The websites were hosted by US companies and spread disinformation to American and international audiences, according to the department.

“Iran cannot be allowed to hide behind fake news sites,” said David Anderson, the US attorney for the Northern District of California, in a press release.

The move came a day before the United States announced new sanctions on Iran’s financial industry.

Four of the websites were operated by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to target US audiences and portrayed themselves as independent news outlets. The others focused on the Middle East, Western Europe and Southeast Asia, according to the Department of Justice. The web pages now show a Department of Justice notice reading “THIS WEBSITE HAS BEEN SEIZED."

The domains for the websites were all owned and operated by US companies, which allowed the US government to seize them. The IRGC is a designated terrorist organization in the United States. Providing services to the government of Iran is also illegal under the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations without a certificate from the Department of the Treasury, the Justice Department said.

Foreign agents in the United States must also register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. The four websites targeting US audiences did not do so, according to the department.

The Justice Department did not immediately respond to Al-Monitor’s request for information on the US companies that allegedly hosted the Iranian government websites.

The US government has seized other Iran-linked websites recently, but not this many. In September, the US seized two websites of the Iraqi news outlet Aletejah, which is affiliated with the pro-Iran Kataib Hezbollah militia in Iraq. In August, the US seized the websites of three energy companies it said facilitated an oil deal between Iran and Venezuela. The companies later challenged the US government in court.

Google, Twitter and Facebook assisted with the investigation, according to the Department of Justice.

Last week, Twitter said it removed around 130 Twitter accounts used by Tehran to influence the discourse on US presidential candidate debates. The social media company said it received the necessary information from the FBI.

In August, Google announced it closed 16 YouTube accounts purportedly linked to the Iranian government that posted on the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States and US-Saudi relations. In April, Facebook closed hundreds of accounts it said posted spam and false content on behalf of Iran.

The United States maintains extensive sanctions on Iran and opposes Tehran’s support for its proxy groups in the Middle East. These groups, including Hezbollah in Lebanon and several militias in Iraq, have clashed with both the United States and its allies Saudi Arabia and Israel. The Trump administration also believes that Iran is seeking to build a nuclear weapon, which Iran denies.

On Thursday, the Department of the Treasury announced fresh sanctions on 18 Iranian banks. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif condemned the move on Twitter. “Amid Covid19 pandemic, U.S. regime wants to blow up our remaining channels to pay for food & medicine,” Zarif tweeted. “Iranians WILL survive this latest of cruelties.”

[nannab]

1 minute ago, yota691 said:

Iran says the move will hurt its ability to pay for medicine and food.

No it won't no country would allow this, these nitwits really think the world is stupid. 

 

 

[yota691]

US imposes sanctions on Iran in defiance of Europe’s humanitarian objections

• 

Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin listens as U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the press outside the White House on Wednesday, July 29, 2020 in Washington, D.C. Trump is scheduled to visit Texas later today.

SARAH SILBIGER, ABACA PRESS/TNS

 

 

By JOHN HUDSON | The Washington Post | Published: October 8, 2020

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration imposed new sanctions on Iran’s financial sector Thursday in defiance of European allies who warned that the move could have devastating humanitarian consequences on a country reeling from the novel coronavirus and a currency crisis.

The measures target the few remaining banks not currently subject to secondary sanctions in a step European governments say is likely to diminish channels Iran uses to import humanitarian goods, such as food and medicine, officials said.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin challenged that assertion in a statement, saying that the designation of 18 Iranian banks “reflects our commitment to stop illicit access to U.S. dollars” and that “today’s actions will continue to allow for humanitarian transactions to support the Iranian people.”

The move represents a major pre-election push on a signature Trump administration policy that has succeeded in devastating the Iranian economy, while failing to moderate Tehran’s behavior or to limit its nuclear program. Since President Donald Trump withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal in 2018, Tehran has exceeded the limits of the agreement and has enriched more uranium than it did before the accord’s signing. U.S. officials in Iraq also have experienced an uptick in rocket fire and other attacks by Iranian-backed militias.

 

 

Thursday’s action effectively to blacklist the entire Iranian financial industry was pushed by Israeli officials and the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a hawkish U.S. nonprofit organization that has advocated for regime change in Iran. The measures subject all financial institutions to penalties for doing business with the 18 Iranian banks, effectively cutting Tehran off from the international financial system.

“To land a 12th-round economic knockout, it’s time for Mr. Trump to throw one more punch: Blacklist the entire Iranian financial industry,” the foundation’s Mark Dubowitz and Richard Goldberg wrote in an Aug. 25 opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal.

 

 

The action relies on an executive order Trump issued in January giving Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Mnuchin broad authority to sanction any part of Iran’s economy.

Some Iran hawks say they hope the move will finally collapse an Iranian economy already squeezed by lost oil sales and a vast array of U.S. sanctions imposed on the country after Trump withdrew from the deal.

The Trump administration initially was cool to the idea, but the combined lobbying efforts of Iran hawks and a growing chorus of GOP lawmakers, including Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Tom Cotton of Arkansas, succeeded in advancing the policy, officials said.

The officials, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss U.S. policy.

Opposition to the new sanctions inside and outside the Trump administration is related to the delivery of humanitarian goods to the country. Last year, Iran imported $1 billion worth of medical goods and grain worth $3.5 billion.

The governments of Britain, France and Germany, also known as the “E3,” worry that if the remaining Iranian banks are sanctioned, Iran’s foreign assets would be de facto frozen, “thus further exacerbating the shortage of foreign currency to pay for humanitarian imports,” a senior European official said.

“The concern has always been that sanctions simply criminalize all financial engagement with Iran,” said Suzanne Maloney, an Iran expert at the Brookings Institution. “The biggest concerns have been around medicine and medical devices. There have been shortages of basic drugs such as insulin and specialized chemotherapy and other lifesaving treatments. As the toll of sanctions has widened, this has intensified with concerns about basic poverty in Iran.”

The move is likely to devaluate Iran’s currency further, to create a liquidity crunch and to be viewed in Tehran as a significant escalation, said Esfandyar Batmanghelidj, founder of Bourse & Bazaar, a think tank focused on Iran’s economy.

In a statement, the Treasury Department said it has issued a general license allowing for humanitarian transactions to continue. “Today’s action targets the Iranian regime and is not directed at the people of Iran,” the department said.

But European officials have doubted the effectiveness of such moves. “Even clear humanitarian exceptions could only counteract this to a limited extent,” said the senior European official.

Batmanghelidj said “the risk profile has changed” with the new measures, meaning that foreign companies and banks involved in trade, humanitarian or otherwise, “will be even more reticent than before.”

In response to the punishments, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif issued a tweet saying that the “U.S. regime wants to blow up our remaining channels to pay for food & medicine. Iranians WILL survive this latest of cruelties. But conspiring to starve a population is a crime against humanity.”

[yota691]

 

WASHINGTON: WE WILL SEPARATE IRAN FROM THE GLOBAL FINANCIAL SYSTEM

08 Oct 2020

WASHINGTON - ALSHARQIYA October 8: US officials revealed that the United States will impose new sanctions on the Iranian financial industry, weeks after it announced the re-imposition of international sanctions on Iran, in a move that would effectively separate Iran from the global financial system.
Reuters quoted US officials as saying that the measures will target the few remaining banks that are not currently subject to sanctions, with the aim of reducing the channels Iran uses to import goods, stressing that US President Donald Trump's administration seeks to crush Iran's economy to bring it to the negotiating table.
Reuters said the move would prevent Iran from entering the global financial sector, after Washington announced last month the return or resumption of nearly all UN sanctions on Iran.

[yota691]

A crime against humanity

First Iranian comment on the new sanctions: They will ban food and medicine

2020.10.08 - 21:11

 

Baghdad - People   

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif considered that the new US sanctions are targeting the remaining channels open for his country to buy food and medicine.  

"The Iranians will survive these recent brutal acts," Zarif wrote in a tweet on Twitter.  

He added, "Plotting to starve the population is a crime against humanity. The guilty and auxiliaries of this are those who deny our money will face justice."  

  

On Thursday, the US Treasury announced the imposition of sanctions on 18 Iranian banks, as part of the policy of maximum pressure exercised by the US administration against Tehran, against the background of the dispute between them over the Iranian nuclear program and other files .  

Informed sources reveal that US President Donald Trump is targeting the Iranian banking sector, threatening to isolate the entire banking system from the global financial system.    

And Bloomberg News reported, earlier, that President Donald Trump's administration aims to cut communication between the Iranian economy and the outside world, except in limited circumstances.    

The sources indicated that the sanctions may target more than 12 banks and announce the ban on the entire financial sector.    

The agency stated that this move would effectively isolate Iran from the global financial system, cut off the few remaining legal links it has, and make it more dependent on informal or illegal trade.    

According to the sources, the proposed sanctions have two goals, one of which is to close one of the few remaining financial loopholes that allow the Iranian government to collect revenues, and the second is to thwart what Democratic candidate Joe Biden made on returning to the nuclear agreement that was reached with Iran in 2015 if he won the presidential elections. Scheduled for November.    

The Iranian rial fell to a record level with the increasing fears before the US elections in light of the concern of dealers about any chaos before the US presidential elections scheduled for next November 3, which could have major consequences for the Islamic Republic of Iran’s struggling economy.    

Bloomberg News also quoted 8 currency dealers on Firdaus Street in Tehran, one of the currency trading centers in Iran, as saying that the price of the dollar today ranged between 290 thousand and 291.5 thousand riyals, an increase of 6 percent from its price last week.    

It is reported that the Iranian riyal has lost about 65 percent of its value against the dollar since August 2018, when US President Donald Trump decided to withdraw from the nuclear agreement with Iran unilaterally and to return US sanctions on Iran.    

The suffering of the Iranian economy and currency has also intensified with the outbreak of the new Corona virus pandemic this year.    

"We cannot sell oil and there are no dollars to pump into the market, and if Trump is re-elected, things will get worse," Bloomberg quoted Murtaza, a currency dealer in Tehran who refused to be identified accurately due to the sensitivity of the talk about the Iranian exchange market.    

"Who can say that the dollar will not reach 400 thousand or 500 thousand riyals if things remain as they are? Nothing is impossible now," he added.    

The sanctions have reduced the size of the domestic economy in Iran, as a result of sanctions against exports of a number of industries and imports of raw materials in several industrial sectors.    

And at the beginning of this month, the United States imposed sanctions on several companies, accusing them of enabling the shipping and sale of Iranian petrochemicals, in the latest episode of the US pressure series aimed at tightening the screws on the Iranian regime.    

The US Treasury Department said in a statement that the administration of US President Donald Trump imposed sanctions on six companies because it supported Trilliance Petrochemical Company Ltd., whose name was blacklisted by Washington.    

This comes at a time when Iran is struggling to confront the repercussions of the Coronavirus outbreak, as well as the stifling economic crisis that the Islamic Republic has been suffering from since Washington's withdrawal from the nuclear deal in 2018 and the re-imposition of harsh sanctions on it.    

A prominent Iranian official had earlier admitted that the US sanctions broke the back of the economy in his country, in an admission that dealt a blow to the policy of arrogance and obstinacy pursued by the Iranian government in the fallacy of local public opinion and in the psychological warfare with the regional and international camp opposed to its destabilizing practices and activities in the region.    

The official emphasized that the sanctions mainly affected the oil sector, which is the most important basic resource that the government uses to cover its expenditures, stressing that the Iranian regime "cut off all its revenues."    

  

[yota691]

Its banking system is isolated from the world .. What do the new sanctions on Iran mean?

2020.10.08 - 20:50

 

Baghdad - People  

On Thursday, the US Treasury announced the imposition of sanctions on 18 Iranian banks, as part of the policy of maximum pressure exercised by the US administration against Tehran, against the background of the dispute between them over the Iranian nuclear program and other files .  

Informed sources reveal that US President Donald Trump is targeting the Iranian banking sector, threatening to isolate the entire banking system from the global financial system.  

And Bloomberg News reported, earlier, that President Donald Trump's administration aims to cut communication between the Iranian economy and the outside world, except in limited circumstances.  

The sources indicated that the sanctions may target more than 12 banks and announce the ban on the entire financial sector.  

The agency stated that this move would effectively isolate Iran from the global financial system, cut off the few remaining legal links it has, and make it more dependent on informal or illegal trade.  

According to the sources, the proposed sanctions have two goals, one of which is to close one of the few remaining financial loopholes that allow the Iranian government to collect revenues, and the second is to thwart what Democratic candidate Joe Biden made on returning to the nuclear agreement that was reached with Iran in 2015 if he won the presidential elections. Scheduled for November.  

The Iranian rial fell to a record level with the increasing fears before the US elections in light of the concern of dealers about any chaos before the US presidential elections scheduled for next November 3, which could have major consequences for the Islamic Republic of Iran’s struggling economy.  

Bloomberg News also quoted 8 currency dealers on Firdaus Street in Tehran, one of the currency trading centers in Iran, as saying that the price of the dollar today ranged between 290 thousand and 291.5 thousand riyals, an increase of 6 percent from its price last week.  

It is reported that the Iranian riyal has lost about 65 percent of its value against the dollar since August 2018, when US President Donald Trump decided to withdraw from the nuclear agreement with Iran unilaterally and to return US sanctions on Iran.  

The suffering of the Iranian economy and currency has also intensified with the outbreak of the new Corona virus pandemic this year.  

"We cannot sell oil and there are no dollars to pump into the market, and if Trump is re-elected, things will get worse," Bloomberg quoted Murtaza, a currency dealer in Tehran who refused to be identified accurately due to the sensitivity of the talk about the Iranian exchange market.  

"Who can say that the dollar will not reach 400 thousand or 500 thousand riyals if things remain as they are? Nothing is impossible now," he added.  

The sanctions have reduced the size of the domestic economy in Iran, as a result of sanctions against exports of a number of industries and imports of raw materials in several industrial sectors.  

And at the beginning of this month, the United States imposed sanctions on several companies, accusing them of enabling the shipping and sale of Iranian petrochemicals, in the latest episode of the US pressure series aimed at tightening the screws on the Iranian regime.  

The US Treasury Department said in a statement that the administration of US President Donald Trump imposed sanctions on six companies because it supported Trilliance Petrochemical Company Ltd., whose name was blacklisted by Washington.  

This comes at a time when Iran is struggling to confront the repercussions of the Coronavirus outbreak, as well as the stifling economic crisis that the Islamic Republic has been suffering from since Washington's withdrawal from the nuclear deal in 2018 and the re-imposition of harsh sanctions on it.  

A prominent Iranian official had earlier admitted that the US sanctions broke the back of the economy in his country, in an admission that dealt a blow to the policy of arrogance and obstinacy pursued by the Iranian government in the fallacy of local public opinion and in the psychological warfare with the regional and international camp opposed to its destabilizing practices and activities in the region.  

The official emphasized that the sanctions mainly affected the oil sector, which is the most important basic resource that the government uses to cover its expenditures, stressing that the Iranian regime "cut off all its revenues."  

  

[yota691]

Urgent | The US Treasury Department imposes sanctions on 18 Iranian banks

by Editor Urgent 15 Hours ago

The US Treasury Department imposes sanctions on 18 Iranian banks.

- The US Treasury considers the financial sector of the Iranian economy subject to Trump's executive order to re-impose sanctions.

New US sanctions on Iran exclude the agricultural, food, and medical device sectors.

- The US sanctions come to complement the series of Snapback sanctions.

[yota691]

US hits Iran's financial sector with fresh round of sanctions

 

October 8, 2020 at 9:17 pm | 

Iranians counting and exchanging the United States 100-dollar bills and Iran's Rial banknotes, on 12 January 2012 [ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images]

 

October 8, 2020 at 9:17 pm

 

The United States on Thursday slapped fresh sanctions on Iran’s financial sector, targeting 18 Iranian banks in an effort to further shut Iran out of the global banking system as Washington ramps up pressure on Tehran weeks ahead of the US election, Reuters reports.

In an announcement posted on its website, the US Treasury Department also identified the financial sector of the Iranian economy pursuant to Executive Order 13902, though it said the prohibitions did not apply to transactions for the provision of agricultural commodities, food, medicine or medical devices to Iran.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif accused the United States of targeting Iran’s “remaining channels to pay for food and medicine” in the midst of a pandemic through new sanctions announced on Thursday.

“Amid Covid 19 pandemic, U.S. regime wants to blow up our remaining channels to pay for food & medicine,” Zarif said on Twitter. “But conspiring to starve a population is a crime against humanity.”

[yota691]

Sanctions blocking the dollar from 18 Iranian banks within 45 days, and Rouhani: We will stand up

October 9, 2020

100

Tehran - time

On Friday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani denounced the "cruel and inhuman" sanctions imposed by the United States Thursday evening, to his country, stressing at the same time that it will not be able to break the "steadfastness" of the republic Islamic.

On Thursday, the United States imposed sanctions on 18 major Iranian banks in an attempt to subjugate Tehran by completing the strangulation Its economy is part of the "maximum pressure campaign" that President Donald Trump has not yet allowed On the "better agreement" he hopes with Iran.

"The Americans had previously done everything they could against the great Iranian nation," Rouhani said. ... they will not be able to break the steadfastness of the Iranian nation through these inhumane (actions). ”

Observers and diplomats fear that these new sanctions will reduce Iran's ability to acquire basic materials. Humanitarian »although Washington says it is an exception.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote in a tweet on Twitter “In the midst of the Covid pandemic -19, The American system seeks to destroy our last channels to pay for food and medicine, ”stressing that "The Iranians will overcome this brutality, but conspiring to starve a people is a crime against humanity."

In 2018, the United States unilaterally withdrew from the international nuclear deal concluded with Iran Trump says it is not sufficient to prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear bomb and to put an end to its "destabilizing behavior." In the Middle East. He then reimposed all US sanctions that were lifted in 2015 while tightening them.

The Trump administration had announced that its goal was to weaken the Islamic Republic until it "changed its position" in the region It is negotiating a "better deal." But as the Republican billionaire's first term neared the end of the billionaire's first term, the Trump administration made no progress on anything From both fronts.

F The rest of the news is on (Al Zaman) website

The Republican president now confirms that the Iranian authorities will agree to negotiate, but after the US elections in which he is competing Democrat Joe Biden.

On Thursday, the United States imposed sanctions on Iran's financial sector in an attempt to subjugate Tehran by continuing to strangle its economy As part of the "maximum pressure campaign" that President Donald Trump has not yet allowed to obtain A "better deal" he hopes for with Iran.

And less than four weeks before the election Trump seeks to win a second term, the president announced Al-Amri said about a measure that anti-Iranian "hawks" are pushing to completely cut off the Iranian financial sector the world

US Treasury Secretary Stephen Mnuchin said in a statement that “today's measures to include the Iranian financial sector on The blacklisting and punishment of 18 major Iranian banks shows our commitment to stop illegal access to dollars American

For his part, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, “Our campaign of extreme economic pressure will continue unless Iran accepts to conduct comprehensive negotiations to address the harmful behavior of the regime, ”explaining that these sanctions will take effect Implementation within 45 days, that is, after the presidential elections scheduled for November 3, however Before the winner takes office on January 20.

And Behnam bin Talib of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies calling for the adoption of a hard line against Iran, That «there are still several points of contact between the Iranian financial sector and the international financial system» Time to cut it off.

"These sanctions are also evidence that there are still targets," Bin Talib told AFP It could be hit, to increase the economic pressure on Tehran. ”

Barbara Salvin of the Atlantic Council said, “These sanctions are sadistic and are wrapped in a foreign policy. ». "It will not bring the Iranian government to its knees, it will weaken ordinary people, strengthen the black market and undermine in the long term," she added Long sanctions revolving around the dollar ».

Many observers, as well as European diplomats, fear that these new sanctions will reduce Iran's ability to Obtaining goods deemed "humanitarian" (medicine and food), despite the confirmation of the US Treasury Department that these are Items are subject to exemptions.

The US State Department itself expressed on Wednesday its concern about the new record levels of the number of deaths resulting from The Covid-19 epidemic in Iran has offered its archenemy "help."

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote on Twitter “In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic The American system seeks to destroy our last channels to pay for food and medicine, ”stressing that“ The Iranians will overcome this brutality, but conspiring to starve a people is a crime against humanity. ”

In 2018, the United States unilaterally withdrew from the international nuclear deal concluded with Iran Trump says it is not enough to prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear bomb and to put an end to its 'destabilizing behavior.' In the Middle East. He then reimposed all US sanctions that were lifted in 2015 while tightening them.

These punitive measures tighten the screws on the Iranian economy because they are accompanied by what are called "secondary" sanctions, meaning Any country or company that continues to trade with Iran can be denied access to the market and the sector The vast Americans.

[yota691]

Iran officials strike defiant note to new US sanctions

 

October 9, 2020 at 11:30 pm |

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani makes a speech on the conflicts in Nagorno-Karabakh during the Council of Ministers Meeting in Tehran, Iran on 7 October 2020. [Iranian Presidency - Anadolu Agency]

 

October 9, 2020 at 11:30 pm

 

Downplaying the impact of new US sanctions on Iranian banks, Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani on Friday said the move is a “political propaganda” to appease domestic audience in the US, Anadolu reports.

Speaking to the head of Iran’s Central Bank, Rouhani struck a defiant tone, saying the new US sanctions targeting Iranian financial institutions “cannot break the resistance of Iranians”.

“Americans cannot break the resistance of the Iranian people by creating obstacles and problems in the supply of medicine and food,” Rouhani noted, in his conversation with Abdolnasser Hemmati.

The remarks came a day after the US government announced fresh sanctions targeting 18 Iranian banks under its “maximum pressure campaign”.

The move, which comes weeks before the presidential election in the US, aims to cut the remaining financial channels between Tehran and the world by blacklisting Iran’s entire banking sector.

The US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the move seeks to block Iran’s access to US dollars. “Our sanctions program will continue until Iran stops its support of terrorist activities and ends its nuclear program,” he said in a statement.

Rouhani, terming the move “cruel and inhumane”, said the US government has “done everything it can” against the people of Iran, but the actions have failed to break their resolve.

 

“Time has shown that such actions have proved ineffective,” he remarked, while in the same breath urging the world community to condemn the US action.

In his remarks, Hemmati said the new US sanctions on Iran is a “political move” that will not have an “economic impact”, while adding that such actions “would be recorded in the memory of Iranians”.

Hemmati said despite the US maximum pressure campaign against Iran, they have managed to provide medicine and food to people, without allowing any shortage.

“The Central Bank, in coordination with the private sector, will make all efforts to continue providing food and medicine to people and we will not allow any pressure on people,” he said.

He also said that the fresh sanctions do not invalidate the exemptions provided for humanitarian trade, which allows Iran to use SWIFT mechanism for purchase of essential commodities and medicine.

The fresh sanctions come at a time when Iran is grappling with the third wave of coronavirus, with new infections and fatalities touching record high every day.

The new sanctions have drawn condemnation from many senior Iranian officials. On Thursday evening, Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said the US administration seeks to “blow up our remaining channels to pay for food and medicine”, adding that Iranians “will survive this latest of cruelties”.

[yota691]

A new record drop for the Iranian riyal against the dollar
 10/10/2020
 
 563
Follow-up / Resource News

The price of the US dollar on the black market in Iran rose today, Saturday, to 304,500 riyals in a new record, after the last price recorded before the holidays on Thursday and Friday was 296,000 riyals.

This comes two days after the US Treasury announced the imposition of economic sanctions on 18 Iranian banks, in a move that the governor of the Central Bank of Iran considered "aimed at propaganda and political goals for US domestic consumption, more than its economic impact."

Simultaneously, the Iranian Market Regulatory Authority announced the allocation of $ 9 billion to cover basic commodities in the current fiscal year ending March 20, 2021.

The Secretary of the Commission, Mohammad Reza Kalami, said in a statement to "Fars" that the reality of $ 8 billion of the allocated amount is available from oil sales and the resources of the Central Bank of Iran.

He added that 6.4 billion of the $ 9 billion would cover the supply of 5 basic commodities,  including crude oil, 4 types of feed, and the rest for the import of medicines.

[yota691]

The dollar deals a blow to the Iranian riyal

 

- 10-10-2020 02:16 PM - Number of readings: 5968

The US dollar dealt a blow to the Iranian riyal after it reached 304,500 riyals after registering on Thursday and Friday 296,000 riyals, setting a new record.

 

It is noteworthy that the increase was recorded after the US Treasury announced the imposition of economic sanctions on 18 Iranian banks, in a move that the Governor of the Central Bank of Iran considered "aimed at propaganda and political goals for American domestic consumption, more than its economic impact."

 

The Iranian Market Regulatory Authority also announced the allocation of $ 9 billion to cover basic commodities in the current fiscal year ending March 20, 2021.

 

The secretary of the authority, Muhammad Reza Kalami, said: “The reality of $ 8 billion of the allocated amount is available from oil sales and the resources of the Central Bank of Iran, and that 6.4 billion of the $ 9 billion will cover the supply of 5 basic commodities, including crude oil and 4 types of The feed and the rest are for importing medicines. "

[yota691]

Finally getting it...the dollar doesn't come from just oil...and all that instability ain't cheap. 

 

Rouhani: One of Iran's priorities is to remove obstacles in trade relations with its neighbors

14:28 - 11/10/2020

 

  

The information / Baghdad ..
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani stressed, on Sunday, the necessity for the concerned institutions to eliminate administrative obstacles in terms of economic and trade relations with neighboring countries as the top priority for their activities and to address conflicts in administrative procedures in this regard.
Rouhani said, in a statement during a meeting of the Governmental Committee for Economic Coordination today, that in light of the conditions that impose the most severe embargoes on the country, efforts are being made to raise the cards of non-oil exports.
He added, “Customs has been asked to calculate the export value of petrochemical companies’ products based on the equivalent export prices, which are announced weekly by the National Petrochemical Company. ”
He continued: It is through expediting the formation of a working group and committees made up of the relevant authorities in the field of commercial relations with neighboring countries, to work in a coherent and integrated manner to solve problems in this field with the aim of raising the volume of trade to a required level as soon as possible.
Rouhani stressed on meeting the technical and administrative needs and addressing deficiencies in this regard, explaining: The Ministry of Economy is obligated to expedite the requirements and provide customs equipment at border customs with the aim of licensing goods as soon as possible.
He pointed out that in order to establish a unified administration in the context of coordinating the affairs of the border crossings in the country, the management of these ports, both air and sea, was referred to the Ministry of Roads and Housing Construction. End / 25

[yota691]

Despite the embargo, the Iranian banking system exchanges $ 80 billion in foreign cash

10:24 - 10/14/2020

 

  

 

The information / Baghdad ..

The head of the Iranian Parliamentary Economic Committee, Mohammad Reza Pour Brahimi, announced, on Wednesday, that the banking system exchanged about 80 billion dollars of foreign currency as part of the country's trade balance in the fiscal year ending March 19, 2020, despite the height of the US ban.

Brahimi said that Iran, in the face of the US ban against 18 local banks, has taken measures to reduce its impact to minimum levels, including methods of circumventing the ban and other methods administered by the banking system.

The deputy from the city of Kerman considered that the decision to ban 18 Iranian banks, which America announced recently, is no more than a political and media show, as the ban was actually in place, and the new announcement reflects Washington’s failure to obtain results from economic "sanctions".

The Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee stressed that, through the measures adopted by Iran with regard to China and Russia, and the orientation towards common foreign currencies and monetary alliances, America will not succeed in banning Iranian banks. End / 25

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The Iraqi Central Bank imposes tutelage on a bank with Iranian participation

 

•  

 2020-10-15 09:25

Shafaq News / A government source revealed on Thursday that the Central Bank of Iraq imposed trusteeship on the "Islamic Cooperation" Bank financed by Iranian banks in the country.

The source told Shafaq News that the Central Bank imposed trusteeship on the bank, based on the decision of the board of directors of this bank and based on paragraph (1 / d) of Article (59) of the Banking Law No. 94 of 2004

The source indicated to the formation of a committee from this bank to supervise it and take all the powers granted to it, according to the above banking law.

It is noteworthy that the biggest contributors to this "Islamic Cooperation" bank are Iranian banks, which are "New Economy, Shawarzi".

 

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Iran arms embargo ends with warnings from Washington

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has threatened to sanction countries that engage in weapons trade with Iran.

 

 

 

 US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during a news conference to announce the restoration of US sanctions on Iran on Sept. 21, 2020, at the US State Department in Washington, DC, as Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin looks on. Photo by PATRICK SEMANSKY/AFP via Getty Images.

Al-Monitor Staff

 

 

iran nuclear deal, jcpoa, us sanctions on iran, us sanctions, arms sales, arms embargo

Oct 19, 2020

An international conventional arms embargo on Iran has expired after 13 years on Sunday, despite a push by the US government to keep Tehran as a pariah in the international weapons trade.

The embargo’s termination came in line with provisions under the 2015 nuclear agreement called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with Tehran, despite the US administration's efforts in the UN Security council to renew the embargo during a vote in August.

“A momentous day for the international community, which — in defiance of malign US efforts — has protected [UN Security Council Resolution] 2231 and [the] JCPOA,” tweeted Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

“Today’s normalization of Iran’s defense cooperation with the world is a win for the cause of multilateralism and peace and security in our region,” Zarif wrote.

A statement by the Iranian Foreign Ministry claimed that the Islamic Republic now has the right to “procure any necessary arms and equipment from any source without legal restrictions” for defensive purposes. Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani hailed the end of the embargo last week.

 

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned in a statement on Sunday that Washington was ready to unilaterally “sanction any individual or entity that materially contributes to the supply, sale or transfer of conventional arms to or from Iran, as well as those who provide technical training, financial support and services and other assistance related to these arms.”

Pompeo added that “any country” that attempts to sell weapons to Iran “will be very clearly choosing to fuel conflict and tension over promoting peace and security.”

The administration of President Donald Trump withdrew in 2018 from the JCPOA, which had been signed by Iran, the United States, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United Kingdom in 2015.

Trump repeatedly called the agreement, aimed at curtailing Iran’s nuclear capabilities, a “bad deal.”

The administration has cited Iran’s conventional ballistic missile program and support for militias in Syria, Iraq and Yemen — as well as Hezbollah in Lebanon — as justifications for Washington’s “maximum pressure” campaign of sanctions against Tehran.

The Trump administration’s withdrawal from the deal was supported by some US partners in the Middle East, particularly Israel and Arab Gulf states.

But an August push by Washington’s Ambassador to the UN Kelly Craft failed to convince even the United States’ closest allies France, the United Kingdom and Germany to sign on to the renewal. The three countries instead urged the United States to negotiate with Iran to preserve the JCPOA, rather than rely on threats of sanctions.

The administration has since unilaterally initiated a “snapback” of international sanctions against Iran, a move allowed under the JCPOA. Still, it is unclear how the United States intends to enforce the snapback, which the UN Security Council has rejected.

China opposed the renewal, and Russia said the United States has no legal right to initiate the snapback because Washington withdrew from the agreement.

The US Defense Intelligence Agency assessed last year that Iran has shown interest in purchasing Russia’s T-90 tanks, Yak-130 trainer and light attack jets, Bastion mobile coastal missile defense systems and Su-30 fighter jets.

Iran has looked to Chinese and Russian aircraft to replace its aging fleet, some of which is left over from US sales prior to the 1979 revolution.

It is not clear how many countries are ready to risk wading into arms deals with Iran amid the continued threat of US sanctions. The European Union still maintains a ban on conventional arms trade with Iran that is set to expire in three years.

Russian officials have already floated the possibility of selling its advanced S-400 air defense system to Iran after the UN embargo expires.

The Trump administration is demanding Iran return to the negotiating table to arrange a more restrictive deal.

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POSTED ON 2020-10-20 BY SOTALIRAQ

The head of the Iranian Central Bank holds the Expediency Council responsible for the collapse of the riyal

The head of the Central Bank of Iran, Abdel Nasser Hemmati, held the Expediency Council responsible for the collapse of the local currency (the riyal), due to his rejection of the decision to join Iran in the International Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

The Expediency Council is an advisory body that plays the role of governing and separating disputes between Parliament and the Guardian Council, and its decisions regarding the rivalry of the two bodies (Parliament and Council) become effective after approval by the Iranian Leader.

Hemmati said in a statement to a reformist radio, Monday evening, after a meeting with the private sector: “I admit that there is a shortage of foreign currencies at the central bank, but there are parties who were against the decision to join Iran to the International Financial Action Group.”

Adding: "The Expediency Council used to say that Iran's failure to join the FATF and put us on the blacklist will not have an impact on the financial and economic conditions in the country, but this step has an impact."

The head of the Central Bank of Iran stated, “Many restrictions have been imposed due to the sanctions and therefore strict measures must be taken to return foreign currencies, but the increase in foreign exchange rates is not due to government directives and decisions, but to a decrease in foreign exchange.”

"But despite the decline in oil revenues due to unfair sanctions and the sharp drop in oil prices, the state of the country's foreign exchange reserves is good and unprecedented in the country's history."

The International Financial Action Group is a group to combat money laundering and terrorist financing, and last February, Iran officially entered the blacklist of the working group, due to the Iranian regime’s refusal to join it.

The price of the dollar has more than doubled since the beginning of this year, and as of Sunday, it reached 32,000 Iranian riyals on the black market, according to Iranian hard currency centers.

Iranian economists have warned against joining the International Financial Action Task Force, stressing that not joining will have major repercussions even in trade with Iran-friendly countries such as China.

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China is trying to walk the balance between the Gulf states and Iran

- 14 Hours Elapsed

London - China accused the United States of proliferating weapons and “interfering” in the affairs of other countries after Washington threatened to impose sanctions on any country that exploits ending an international embargo on arms sales to Iran. This makes the Chinese think about how to balance their relationship with the Gulf states when they begin to strike deals with Tehran.

Beijing already has long-term partnerships with Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which are major trading partners of China. Beijing does not want to lose these relations because it wants to embody the "new road and belt" project, and not at the expense of its strategic rapprochement with the Iranians.

But if China is trying to balance its relations with the Arab countries and Iran, then is what Beijing is offering Tehran inconsistent with that, especially since the Sino-Iranian agreement, which was first proposed during President Xi Jinping's visit to Tehran in 2016, is under discussion, without being revealed Publicly disclose minute details.

A draft was leaked to the Iranian press a few months ago, revealing that the 25-year strategic partnership will bring surprising investments of up to $ 400 billion in various Iranian sectors in exchange for continuous energy provision to China for the same period of time.

China

Sabina Siddiqui, a geopolitical analyst for the Monitor website, says that speeding up the process of completing the negotiations, the Iranian side has been more active since the draft was approved in a cabinet session last June, as Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif's visit last week to China is seen as a continuation of these efforts. .

Reza Zbib, an aide to Zarif, told the Iranian news agency, prior to Zarif's departure for China, “We hope that Zarif’s visit to China will be a major step towards institutionalizing the 25-year document of cooperation between the two countries, which will be a good basis for strengthening relations. Economic. ”

By the time Zarif arrived in China, senior Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi, who was a foreign minister and a former ambassador to the United States, a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party Central Committee and director of its foreign affairs office, arrived in the Emirates to meet Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Muhammad bin Zayed.

Thus, after approval by the Iranian cabinet, the ball is now in China's court. However, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi did not announce the strategic partnership agreement with Iran after meeting his Iranian counterpart, despite emphasizing Beijing's support for Tehran and reaffirming China's commitment to the 2015 nuclear deal.

And while Chinese State Council spokeswoman Hua Chunying said before the talks, "We want to work with Iran to deepen our comprehensive bilateral strategic partnership," the Chinese newspaper, Global Times, provided enthusiastic coverage of Yang's visit to the UAE as well as improving relations, while she was relatively quiet about his visit. Zarif and Tehran's partnership with China.

The focus of the official Chinese government statement was on the 2015 nuclear agreement and other Chinese media focused on the same. China appears to be in the final stages of studying the plan, and it is likely that there will be a major turning point once the Sino-Iranian strategic partnership agreement is officially announced, and it could also have a far-reaching impact on the West and elsewhere.

On the Iranian level, Mahmoud Vaezi, head of President Hassan Rouhani's office, praised the outcome of Zarif's visit, describing it as "very successful," saying that it was "very comprehensive negotiations that were conducted on bilateral economic, political and cultural issues in addition to a plan for a quarter of a century."

Rouhani has hinted that Tehran is prioritizing strengthening ties with China, Iran's neighbors and the EEU in all fields, including energy and technology. However, nothing is official on paper yet.

Siddiqui, who focuses on analyzing issues related to the Belt and Road Initiative, the Middle East and South Asia, believes that China is unwilling to commit publicly because it does not want to get involved in regional political tensions and prefers to remain neutral.

The Chinese have always been pragmatic, as Beijing enjoys long and stable trade relations with the oil-rich Gulf countries, and the trade does not face potential obstacles that may be involved in trade with Iran, with which it has reduced oil supplies due to US sanctions, and bilateral trade has decreased by a third last year. And about 60 percent since the beginning of the year.

Beijing has already raised its relations with Riyadh and Abu Dhabi to such a high level that even if the deal were struck with Iran, it would not upset the balance of power in the region.

Arabs

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OCTOBER 22, 20205:39 PMUPDATED AN HOUR AGO

U.S. says it blacklisted Iran's ambassador to Iraq

By Reuters Staff

1 MIN READ

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Thursday blacklisted Iraj Masjedi, Iran’s Ambassador to Iraq, saying he has for years overseen the training and support of Iraqi militia groups which are responsible for attacks on U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq.

“In his current capacity, Masjedi has exploited his position as the Iranian regime’s ambassador in Iraq to obfuscate financial transfers conducted for the benefit of the IRGC-QF,” Treasury said in a statement, referring to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps.

 

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US sanctions against Iran's ambassador to Iraq and two Hezbollah leaders

Last updated: Friday 6 Rabi Al-Awal 1442 AH - October 23, 2020 KSA 01:29 - GMT 22:29
Publish date: Friday 6 Rabi Al-Awwal 1442 AH - October 23, 2020 KSA 00:21 - GMT 21:21

Source: Dubai - Arabia.net

US Department of the Treasury

 

• font size

On Thursday evening, the US Treasury Department announced the imposition of a series of sanctions on institutions and officials linked to Iran.

And Washington imposed sanctions on Iran's ambassador in Baghdad, Iraj Masjedi , considering that "the appointment of a member of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard as ambassador in Baghdad is a threat to the security of Iraq."

 

Washington said that my mosques oversaw for years the training and support of Iraqi armed factions responsible for attacks on US and coalition forces in Iraq.

Iran's ambassador in Baghdad Iraj Masjedi

"In his current capacity, Masjedi used his position as the ambassador of the Iranian regime in Iraq to cover up financial transfers made in favor of the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard," the US Treasury Department said in a statement.

Commenting on the subject, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that punishing the Iranian ambassador is a step to protect Iraqis from the influence of the malicious Revolutionary Guard, stressing that Iran's ambassador supports the malicious activities of the Revolutionary Guard in Iraq for several years.

Pompeo added, "The Tehran ambassador provided support to Iraqi militias and facilitated their financial transactions ... and used his diplomatic position to facilitate the transfer of funds to Iraqi militias." According to Pompeo, the Iranian ambassador also oversaw a program to train and support Iraqi militias, and to support Iraqi militias responsible for attacks against US forces.

The US administration also imposed sanctions on two leaders of the Lebanese Hezbollah , Nabil Qaouk and Hassan Al-Baghdadi.

Nabil Kaouk

Hassan Al-Baghdadi

Washington also imposed sanctions on Iranian institutions "trying to interfere in the American elections ."

The US Treasury Department said in a statement that "the Iranian regime targeted the electoral process in the United States with brazen attempts to spread discrimination between voters by spreading disinformation on the Internet and implementing malicious influence operations to mislead them."

She added that "entities of the Iranian government disguised as a media organization, targeting the United States in order to undermine the American democratic process."

The Treasury said that the Bayan Rasanieh Gostar Institute had been sanctioned for its complicity in foreign interference in the 2020 US presidential elections. It added that it had imposed sanctions on the Iranian Islamic Radio and Television Union and the International Virtual Media Federation for their allegations that they were under the control of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, which is already under sanctions.

 

The Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe announced on Wednesday that Russia and Iran had obtained information related to voter registers in the United States and began measures aimed at influencing American public opinion in the elections of the third of November.

Ratcliffe said Iran specifically emailed "hoax" messages to voters in the United States aimed at "intimidating voters, inciting social unrest and harming President Donald Trump."

The Director of National Intelligence stated that Russia and Iran "have taken specific measures to influence public opinion with regard to our elections," stressing that the US security services concluded that "information related to the electoral lists was obtained by Iran, and separately, Russia."

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The Iranian ambassador in Baghdad comments on its inclusion with US sanctions

13:40 - 23/10/2020

 

  

The information / Baghdad ..
The Iranian ambassador to Iraq, Iraj Masjedi, confirmed, on Friday, that Tehran's support for the resistance axis will continue, expressing his pleasure with the US sanctions that affected him.

Iranian media affiliated with Shafaq News quoted Masjedi as saying: “I was very pleased after hearing the imposition of US sanctions against me. This American step has strengthened the legitimacy of my activities to achieve the goals of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the people.”

The Iranian ambassador to Iraq added , "Cooperation with the Revolutionary Guard and the Quds Force is a proud document," stressing that "the Islamic Republic of Iran’s support for the resistance axis will continue."

The United States imposed sanctions on 5 Iranian entities, after accusing them of interfering in the presidential elections that will be held on the third of next November.

The Treasury Department said that among these entities is the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, noting that it “worked to sow discord among the American electorate by spreading misleading information on the Internet and carrying out malicious influence operations aimed at misleading them.” End / 25

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Iran announces sanctions against senior US diplomats in Iraq

Date posted: 23.10.2020 | 11:38 GMT |

Last updated: 23.10.2020 | 11:55 GMT |world News

Reuters Nazanin Tabatabaee WANA

 

 

On Friday, the Iranian Foreign Ministry announced the imposition of sanctions against the US ambassador to Iraq, his deputy and its consul in Erbil.

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The US Treasury punishes five Iranian entities, including the ambassador of Tehran in Baghdad

 

•  

 2020-10-23 01:00

 

Shafaq News / The United States imposed sanctions on 5 Iranian entities, after accusing them of interfering in the presidential elections that will take place on the third of next November.

The Treasury Department said that among these entities is the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, noting that it "worked to sow discord among the American electorate by spreading misleading information on the Internet and carrying out malicious influence operations aimed at misleading them."

The US Department also imposed sanctions on two leaders of the Lebanese Hezbollah, namely the party’s Central Council members Nabil Qaouq and Hassan Al-Baghdadi, who were described by the ministry’s Office of Foreign Assets Control as among the most prominent personnel in managing Hezbollah’s operations and military activities.

US Treasury Secretary Stephen Mnuchin said that the party’s top leaders "are responsible for implementing a destabilizing terrorist agenda that targets the interests of the United States and its partners."

Washington also imposed sanctions on the Iranian ambassador to Iraq, Iraj Masjedi, who was described by the Treasury Department as "a general in the Revolutionary Guard who played a prominent role in training and arming militias."

The director of the US National Intelligence Agency, John Ratcliffe, said that Iran “sent emails aimed at terrorizing voters and inciting unrest and harming (President) Donald Trump, but the intelligence services detected the threat and quickly responded to it.”

While Iran denied the allegations of interference in the US elections, stressing that "unlike the United States," it does not interfere in the elections of other countries.

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New US sanctions targeting the Iranian oil sector

l 6 hours ago

Haitham Tamim - Washington - Sky News Arabia

 

 

The Iranian oil sector is subject to US sanctions

On Monday, the US Treasury Department announced the imposition of sanctions on a number of Iranian institutions and personalities operating in the oil sector, due to their financial support for the Quds Force in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.

The sanctions issued by the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control, included the Iranian Ministry of Petroleum, the National Iranian Oil Company, and the National Iranian Tanker Company, in addition to four persons.

These sanctions come under Executive Order No. 13224, as amended, which targets terrorists and those who provide support to terrorists or acts of terrorism.

A ministry statement indicated that the senior employees of these companies worked closely with Rustam Qasimi, a senior official in the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, and a former oil minister who has been punished since 2019, and who assumed part of the role of the former commander of the Quds Force, Qassem Soleimani , in facilitating shipments. Oil and petroleum products for the financial benefit of the Quds Force.

 

 The Office of Foreign Assets Control imposed sanctions on several entities and individuals associated with the three bodies, including front companies, subsidiaries, and senior executives.

The sanctions included 4 people involved in the recent sale of Iranian gasoline to the illegal regime of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela.

"The Iranian regime continues to prioritize its support for terrorist entities and its nuclear program, at the expense of the Iranian people's needs," said US Treasury Secretary Stephen Mnuchin, adding that the Tehran regime "is using the oil sector to finance the destabilizing activities of the Quds Force."

The statement revealed that "in the spring of 2019 alone, a network run by the Quds Force" witnessed the use of more than 12 ships belonging to the National Iranian Tanker Company, to transport nearly 10 million barrels of crude oil, most of which are destined for the Assad regime. " The Syrian conflict continues to be perpetuated. "

The sanctions include prohibiting all property and interests in the property of these punished persons, who are subject to the US jurisdiction, and American persons are prohibited from entering into transactions with them.