The U.S. announced a range of new sanctions and restrictions against Iran, including an executive order, additions to the Commerce Department’s Entity List (see 2009210018) and new sanctions by the Treasury and State Department. The executive order, issued Sept. 21, targets Iran-related arms transfers, while the Treasury and State Department’s sanctions target a range of people and entities associated with Iranian nuclear and arms development.

The U.S. sanctioned more than 45 Iranian people and companies for cyberattacks, and designated two Lebanese companies and a Lebanese official for involvement with Hezbollah. The Iranian sanctions target Advanced Persistent Threat 39 and Rana Intelligence Computing Co. as Ministry of Intelligence and Security-owned or -controlled, the Office of Foreign Assets Control said Sept. 17. Rana was involved in a “years-long malware campaign” that targeted Iranian dissidents, journalists and international companies, OFAC said. The Lebanese designations target Lebanon-based Arch Consulting and Meamar Construction, and Sultan Khalifah As’ad, a Hezbollah Executive Council official “closely associated” with both companies, OFAC said.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned two Russian nationals involved in the cybertheft of nearly $17 million, it said in a Sept. 16 news release. The designations target Danil Potekhin and Dmitrii Karasavidi for orchestrating a phishing campaign that targeted U.S. citizens and businesses through fake web domains that mimicked “legitimate virtual currency exchanges,” OFAC alleged. When people accessed the domains and entered their personal information, Potekhin and Karasavidi allegedly stole that information and accessed real virtual currency accounts. OFAC said Potekhin and Karasavidi are also the subjects of a Justice Department indictment.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control on Sept. 15 sanctioned a Chinese state-owned entity, the former first lady of Gambia and a United Kingdom-based company for corruption and human rights abuses under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act.

The United Kingdom’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation amended 69 entries under its Ukraine-related sanctions, a Sept. 14 notice said. It revised identifying information for the entries, which are still subject to an asset freeze.

The U.S. extended by one year a national emergency authorizing sanctions against foreign people and entities that interfere in U.S. elections, the White House said Sept. 10. The authority would have expired Sept. 12.

The State Department designated Andrew Wonplo, the former director of passport and visas at the Liberian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, due to involvement in corruption while in office, the agency said Sept. 10. The State Department also designated as ineligible for entry into the U.S. Wonplo's spouse, Dennice, and their minor children.

President Donald Trump renewed Cuban trade sanctions authorized under the Trading With the Enemy Act for one year, until Sept. 14, 2021, a Sept. 9 White House memorandum said. The act authorizes sanctions under the Cuban Assets Control Regulations.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control on Sept. 10 designated a member of the Ukrainian parliament and three employees of the sanctioned Internet Research Agency for helping Russia interfere in U.S. elections. The sanctions target Andrii Derkach, a parliament member said to be a Russian agent who helped create “false and unsubstantiated narratives” about U.S. officials ahead of the 2020 presidential election, OFAC said. The agency also sanctioned IRA employees and Russian nationals Artem Lifshits, Anton Andreyev and Darya Aslanova, who helped support IRA cryptocurrency accounts.

The U.S. and allies are considering imposing sanctions (see 2008270042) against Belarusian officials related to that country’s rigged elections, including the recent “abduction” and forced expulsion of Alexander Lukashenko’s political opponents, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said. Although the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control already imposed some Belarusian sanctions, Pompeo said Sept. 8 he is considering “additional targeted sanctions to promote accountability for those involved in human rights abuses.”