sanctions

French Cinema Emerges as Russia’s Cultural Lifeline Amid Western Boycotts

On a cold autumn evening in Moscow, Alexandra was headed to a cinema, hoping to escape reality for a few hours by taking in a new French comedy. With Hollywood boycotting the Russian market over Moscow's offensive on Ukraine, French films are one of the few cultural windows Russians have left to the West. And even as relations between Paris and ...

Washington Targets Iraqi Firm and Olympic Chief With Sanctions Over Iran Links

The US Treasury on Thursday ramped up its Iran-related sanctions, targeting a firm with ties to Iran-backed militia groups in Iraq and the president of Iraq's Olympic Committee. In a statement, the Treasury Department accused these militias of helping "the Iranian regime in evading U.S. sanctions, smuggling weapons, and engaging in widespread ...

Russia-Europe: The Gas Shock Shaking the Global Balance

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has disrupted the global energy balance. Europe, seeking independence from Moscow, is diversifying its energy sources – but at a high economic cost. Under sanctions, Russia is redirecting its exports to Asia, a less lucrative market. However, this growing closeness between Moscow and Beijing marks ...

US Sanctions Over 50 Entities Linked to Iran’s Oil Exports

The US Treasury announced sanctions on more than 50 people, companies, and ships tied to Iran's oil sector on Thursday, stepping up its campaign against a key revenue source for Tehran. The actions were aimed at people who help to facilitate Iran's shipments of liquified petroleum gas and include a Chinese port and a China-based "teapot" oil ...

Iran Denounces 'Unjustifiable' Return of UN Sanctions

Iran on Sunday condemned as "unjustifiable" the reinstatement of United Nations sanctions over its nuclear program after the collapse of talks with Western powers and Israeli and US strikes on its nuclear sites. The measures, which bar dealings linked to the Islamic republic's nuclear and ballistic missile activities, took effect overnight after ...

Iran Sanctions Look Set To Return Even as Nuclear Inspections Resume

Deep sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program look set to go into force once again, even as a UN watchdog confirmed Friday inspections of its atomic sites had resumed. Russia failed in an effort with Beijing Friday to delay the reimposition of the measures on Tehran, with Moscow raising the prospect that it may not enforce the sanctions -- ...

UN Sanctions Poised to Snap Back on Iran Despite Last-Minute Push by China and Russia

Sweeping UN sanctions look likely to return on Iran despite a last-ditch effort on Friday by China and Russia for a delay to allow further talks, diplomats say. European powers were urging Iran to reverse a series of steps it took after Israel and the United States bombed its nuclear sites in June. Complaining that Iran has not complied with a ...

Trump Urges Turkey's Erdogan to Stop Buying Russian Oil

US President Donald Trump on Thursday urged Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan to stop buying Russian oil over the war in Ukraine, as Erdogan sought a long-awaited deal to buy US stealth fighter jets. As Erdogan visited the White House for the first time since 2019 during Trump's first term, Trump called on him to use his influence with ...

Washington Lifts Broad Sanctions on Syria but Maintains Pressure on Assad Allies

The US Department of the Treasury has announced a sweeping overhaul of its sanctions' regime targeting Syria. In a statement released Wednesday, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced the publication of a final rule amending the regulations on sanctions related to Syria. This update, which implements two presidential executive ...

EU Weighs Tariffs on Russian Oil Imports

The European Commission said Wednesday that it was working on potentially imposing tariffs on imports of Russian oil into the bloc, in the face of pressure from US President Donald Trump. Trump has demanded that Europe end energy imports from Moscow before agreeing to move ahead with punishing sanctions against Moscow over the war in ...

Iran's Carpet Industry Unravelling Under Sanctions

Once a symbol of cultural prestige, Iran's handmade rugs are no longer selling as fast as they once did, as sanctions weigh on an already troubled economy and buyers' tastes change. Commanding more than $2 billion in export revenues in its heyday of the early 1990s, the industry now struggles to scrape together around $40 million, marking a ...

UN Security Council Rejects Bid to Stop Iran Sanctions “Snapback”

The U.N. Security Council on Friday voted down a resolution that sought to prevent the automatic reimposition of sanctions on Iran’s nuclear program, just days before world leaders gather for the annual U.N. summit. The draft, introduced by South Korea, fell short of the nine votes needed. Only China, Russia, Pakistan, and Algeria backed ...