The U.S. could rejoin the Iranian nuclear deal (see 2104220008) as early as this summer, a senior State Department official said, but much of the timing will depend on Iran. The official said both countries have had “constructive” talks in recent meetings but said Iran is being unrealistic about the number of sanctions it wants the U.S. to lift.
The United Nations Security Council on April 29 revised two entries on its Libya sanctions list. The changes revised identifying information for the entries.
The United Kingdom's Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation updated two listings on its Libya sanctions regime in an April 30 financial sanctions notice. Information was updated for Abd Al-Rahman Al-Milad and Mohammed Muammar Qadhafi, and both entries are still subject to an asset freeze.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control moved its Non-Specially Designated Nationals Communist Chinese Military Companies (NS-CCMC) List from a temporary PDF to a “standard OFAC list file format,” the agency said April 30. The list data will now be included in the agency’s “Non-SDN Consolidated Data Files” for machine processing, and “human-readable versions” will be available on a dedicated landing page. OFAC stressed that the change is “only an administrative, technical action.”
The Office of Foreign Assets Control on April 30 deleted five entries from its Specially Designated Nationals List. The entries were listed with addresses in Iraq. OFAC didn’t immediately provide more information.
The United Kingdom published guidance April 29 ro assist individuals and businesses with complying with the Myanmar sanctions regime. The document includes best practice for complying with the asset freeze and travel ban, enforcing the prohibitions and circumstances in which the sanctions don't apply.
The European Union extended restrictive measures on individuals and entities in Myanmar until April 30, 2022, the European Council announced in an April 29 news release. The sanctions were originally enacted in response to a military coup in the Southeast Asian nation and subsequent violence against peaceful protesters along with human rights atrocities committed against the Rohingya population and other ethnic minorities. Covering individuals and entities associated with the Myanmar Armed Forces, the restrictions include an arms embargo, export ban on dual-use goods for use by the military, and export restrictions on communications-monitoring equipment.
U.S. and Western sanctions against Syria are worsening the country's humanitarian crisis and should be lifted, Russia, China and Iran told the United Nations Security Council April 28. China urged all countries imposing sanctions against Syria “to immediately lift these restrictions, as they are deeply affecting the Syrian people,” according to a readout of the UNSC meeting. Iran also called for the “immediate removal of sanctions that weaponize food and medicine.” Russia said Syria must solve its issues “without any outside interference.” The U.S. highlighted its recent increases in humanitarian support to Syria and said Russia is partially responsible for blocking U.N. aid deliveries to Syria.
The Treasury Department applauded the United Kingdom’s enactment of its new anti-corruption sanctions regime this week (see 2104260019), saying the authority will allow the two countries to work together more closely on global sanctions issues. “U.S. sanctions are more likely to compel changes in behavior and disrupt threatening activities when pursued in concert with our allies,” Treasury said April 26, adding that sanctions can “incentivize businesses to adopt a more proactive corporate risk and due diligence approach.” But the agency also stressed that sanctions are just “one tool,” and the U.S. will continue to provide guidance and “engagement” to industry. “The United States looks forward to continuing our collaboration with the United Kingdom and other allies to defend human rights, support good governance, and impose tangible and significant costs on those who engage in corruption,” Treasury said.
The European Union announced that North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, Iceland and Norway aligned themselves with the bloc's decision to sanction 11 individuals and four entities under the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime, in an April 27 news release. The 15 designations, along with the sanctioning of four Russian individuals in early March, constitute the first major listings under the new human rights sanctions regime and include individuals and entities from China, North Korea, Libya, Russia, South Sudan and Eritrea (see 2103220024). In its first step against Eritrea since fighting began over Ethiopia's Tigray region, the EU sanctioned the nation's National Security Office for extrajudicial killings and arbitrary arrests. The other sanctions target a Chinese entity, the Central Public Prosecutor's Office in North Korea and the Kaniyat militia in Libya.