The Office of Foreign Assets Control amended the Syrian Sanctions Regulations to expand an authorization for certain activities of nongovernmental organizations in Syria, OFAC said in final rule released Nov. 24. The rule, effective Nov. 26, expands a general license to allow NGOs to conduct certain “assistance-related investment activities in support of certain not-for-profit activities in Syria.” OFAC also amended the license to specify that it doesn’t apply to foreign people or entities that have been designated as a foreign terrorist organization or “otherwise designated as a terrorist organization by the Secretary of State.”

The U.S. this week announced new sanctions against a shipping company and its vessel for their involvement in the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. The State Department designated the vessel Marlin and Transadria Ltd., which it called a “Russia-linked entity,” under the Protecting Europe’s Energy Security Act of 2019. The agency also said it "listed" another vessel in a report to Congress pursuant to PEESA, but it didn't name the vessel and didn't say whether it would be sanctioned.

The Treasury Department is seeking comments on an information collection relating to the Rough Diamonds Control Regulations administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control, the agency said in a notice released Nov. 23. The collection includes information on certain customs and reporting requirements for shipments of rough diamonds. Comments are due Dec. 24.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned Ismatullah Khalozai, a financial facilitator for the Islamic State’s Khorasan Province, also known as ISIS-K, the agency said Nov. 22. Khalozai has supported the operations of the ISIS-K by “facilitating international financial transactions that fund human trafficking networks,” OFAC said. Khalozai also helped move foreign fighters to “escalate tensions in Afghanistan and the region.” OFAC also sanctioned three other as leaders of ISIS-K but didn’t immediately provide more information on their designations. The individuals are: Sultan Aziz Azam, Maulawi Rajab and Sanaullah Ghafari.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control Nov. 22 deleted a range of entries on its Specially Designated Nationals List and updated other entries. A Treasury spokesperson said some sanctions were removed because the individuals died, while updates include new date of birth information, aliases and “other data corrections.” The deleted and updated entries have ties to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Pakistan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Iraq, Libya, Syria and others.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control has substantially increased its sanctions advisory output in recent years, a trend likely to continue, according to Castellum, a technology company that operates an automated compliance screening service. OFAC issued 10 sanctions advisories in the past two years, including four this year, compared with nine advisories in the previous eight years, the company said Nov. 15. “This emphasis on advisories, across both democratic and republican administrations, shows that this public-facing tool is here to stay and will be used more frequently,” Castellum said. The company also said the increased number of sanctions could allow OFAC to justify larger penalties for sanctions violations, “because those that are subject to enforcement actions will have had significant public warning.” OFAC most recently issued a guidance to help the virtual currency industry navigate U.S. sanctions (see 2110150069).

The Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned a senior Houthi military officer for contributing to the “instability and increasing the already extraordinary suffering of the Yemeni people,” the agency said Nov. 18. The designation targets Saleh Mesfer Alshaer, commander of the Houthi-controlled military logistics support organization. OFAC said Alshaer is the “judicial custodian” of assets seized from Houthi opponents and oversees the group’s seizure of more than $100 million worth of Yemeni property.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control last week sanctioned six Iranians and one Iranian entity for trying to influence the 2020 U.S. presidential election. OFAC said they “sought to sow discord and undermine voters’ faith in the U.S. electoral process” through misinformation on social media, “threatening emails” and a video implying that “individuals could cast fraudulent ballots.” The designations targeted the Iranian cyber company Emennet Pasargad, its manager Mohammad Bagher Shirinkar and others affiliated with the company: Seyyed Mohammad Hosein Musa Kazemi, Sajjad Kashian, Mostafa Sarmadi, Seyyed Mehdi Hashemi Toghroljerdi and Hosein Akbari Nodeh. OFAC said it previously designated Shirinkar for supporting the Iranian military and previously sanctioned Emennet Pasargad under its former name: Net Peygard Samavat Co.

President Joe Biden terminated the national emergency declared in a 2015 executive order that authorized certain sanctions against Burundi, the White House said Nov. 18. The “stability” of Burundi “has been significantly altered by events of the past year, including the transfer of power following elections in 2020, significantly decreased violence” and government reforms, the White House said. As a result, the Office of Foreign Assets Control removed a range of Burundi-related entries from its Specially Designationed Nationals List.

President Joe Biden extended a national emergency that authorizes certain sanctions against Nicaragua, the White House said Nov. 16. The Nicaraguan government has used violence to stop protests and continues to undermine the country’s democratic institutions, the White House said. The emergency was extended for one year beyond Nov. 27.