The U.K.’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation this week amended an existing entry under its Iran sanctions regime. The move updated identifying information for Ya Mahdi Industries Group, which was designated for its involvement in Iran’s nuclear weapons program.
The State Department this week announced another package of weapons and equipment for Ukraine, including up to $100 million of arms previously authorized under directed drawdowns. The package includes missiles for air defense, ammunition, anti-tank weapons, spare parts, services, training, transportation and more.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week published four previously issued general licenses under its Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions Regulations. The full text of each license is available in the notice.
The American and British agencies in charge of sanctions implementation have “worked more closely than ever” during the last year and are planning to share more data, issue additional guidance and better harmonize their sanctions measures, they said last week. They also announced a plan to embed an official within the other country’s agency to help train and learn about each side's respective sanctions procedures.
President Joe Biden renewed a national emergency authorizing certain sanctions related to Nicaragua, the White House said last week. The situation in Nicaragua, including the "systematic dismantling and undermining of democratic institutions" as well as "indiscriminate violence" and corruption, continues to threaten U.S. national security, Biden said. The emergency for Nicaragua was renewed for one year from Nov. 27.
The U.S. this week sanctioned seven people and one entity affiliated with Iranian-aligned militia groups. The designations, announced by the Treasury and State departments, target several people connected to Iraq-based Kata’ib Hizballah and newly sanctioned Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada, two militia groups that receive funding and support from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force. Designated were Imad Naji al-Bahadli, Habib Hasan Mughamis Darraji, Ja’afar al-Husayni, Khalid Kadhim Jasim al-Skeni, Basim Mohammad Hasab al-Majidi, Mojtaba Jahandust and Hashim Finyan Rahim al-Saraji.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control on Nov. 16 sanctioned three United Arab Emirates-based companies and three vessels for violating the price cap on Russian oil (see 2310240068). The designations target Kazan Shipping Inc., Progress Shipping Co. Ltd. and Gallion Navigation Inc., the registered owners, respectively, of three vessels: the Kazan, the Ligovsky Prospect and the NS Century.
The U.N. Security Council and the U.K. this week amended various entries under their ISIL (Da’esh) and al-Qaida sanctions regimes. The changes revise identifying information for people and one company that have ties to terrorism.
The U.S. this week sanctioned 10 people and 18 entities involved in Russia’s “malign influence” and corruption in the Western Balkans, including government officials and organized crime leaders in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and North Macedonia. The designations, announced by both the Treasury and State departments, also target individuals who “impede critical reforms and progress toward EU accession” of those countries, the State Department said.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week issued two updated Venezuela-related general licenses, including one that renews the current authorization for certain transactions with the country’s state-owned energy company and another that updated the authorization for certain transactions with the country’s flagship airline.