The State Department this week added Cuba back to the list of countries that aren’t cooperating fully with U.S. counterterrorism efforts, about one year after the Biden administration delisted the island nation (see 2405170040).

The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week sanctioned about two dozen entities and vessels with ties to Iran's oil trade, including front companies that it said are hiding the origin of Iranian oil, China-based buyers, and ships moving Iranian oil. The designations target companies and ships in Hong Kong, Singapore and Iran, and vessels carrying the flags of Cameroon and Panama and their owners based in Hong Kong and the Seychelles.

The U.K. extended its sanctions license permitting the winding down of transactions with Amsterdam Trade Bank N.V., which is a majority-owned subsidiary of sanctioned Russian bank Alfa-Bank. The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation extended the license until May 12, 2030. OFSI also amended the license to say that any party, including the "Bankruptcy Trustees and any other insolvency practitioner," can make, receive or process any payments or "exercise all rights" in connection with any insolvency proceeding related to ATB or "the fulfilment of the Bankruptcy Trustees' statutory functions."

The U.S. this week sanctioned three Iranian nationals and one entity for their ties to Iran’s Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research, which works on nuclear weapons projects. The designations target Sayyed Mohammad Reza Seddighi Saber, Ahmad Haghighat Talab and Mohammad Reza Mehdipur along with the entity Fuya Pars Prospective Technologists.

The U.K. on May 9 added five people and four entities to the Russia sanctions list. The entities are Russian energy companies BX Energy and Nord Axis and financial service companies Romarine and Soglasie Insurance Co. Ltd. The individuals are the following five executives at sanctioned Russian energy company Coral Energy Group: Etibar Eyyub, Tahir Garayev, Ahmed Kerimov, Anar Madatli and Talat Safarov.

The U.S. this week sanctioned a Chinese refinery and three port terminal operators for their role in buying Iranian oil. It also sanctioned multiple companies, vessels and ship captains responsible for moving those oil shipments as part of Iran’s shadow fleet.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week designated the Myanmar militia group Karen National Army as a transnational criminal organization for its role in supporting multiple cyber-scam syndicates targeting U.S. citizens. OFAC also sanctioned the group’s leader, Saw Chit Thu, and his two sons, Saw Htoo Eh Moo and Saw Chit Chit.

The Treasury Department last week sanctioned Haitian gangs Viv Ansanm and Gran Grif, and the State Department designated them as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists. The State Department called the gangs a "direct threat to U.S. national security interests in our region," saying they have killed and attacked Haitian residents and security forces and are "committed to overthrowing the government of Haiti."

The U.K. on May 1 amended one entry under its Russia sanctions regime, the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation announced. OFSI updated the listing of Albert Shigabutdinov to reflect that he's a director of the TAIF Group, a firm operating in the Russian energy, financial services and communications sectors.

China has informed the EU that it has lifted sanctions against certain European Parliament lawmakers, the Parliament said April 30. The sanctions, imposed by Beijing in March 2021, targeted five Parliament members and the body’s Subcommittee on Human Rights. Roberta Metsola, Parliament president, said EU committees “must be able to discuss European interests with their Chinese counterparts without fear of repercussions,” adding that the best way to approach China is “through engagement and dialogue.”