Curtiss-Wright, a U.S. manufacturer, may have violated U.S. sanctions on Russia when it continued to do business with two customers after they were acquired by a sanctioned entity, the company said in an Aug. 19 Securities and Exchange Commission filing. The company said the two customers, “unbeknown” to Curtiss-Wright, were acquired in 2019 by an entity subject to OFAC’s Ukraine-related sanctions. “Change of ownership resulted in beneficial ownership sanctions now capturing our two long-time customers,” the company said.
Russia recently introduced a bill to revise regulations for its sanctions regimes and its countermeasures against U.S. sanctions, an Aug. 21 EU Sanctions blog post said. Among other changes, the bill would expand the scope of sanctions to apply to entities owned or controlled 25% or more by a sanctioned person or entity. The bill would also impose reporting requirements for financial institutions on measures they are taking to implement sanctions, and create a new penalty that would suspend or revoke a financial institution's license “in the event of repeated sanctions violations,” the post said.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo officially initiated a United Nations process to reimpose sanctions under the Iran nuclear deal after failing to convince the U.N. to extend an Iranian arms embargo (see 2008170017 and 2008190036). Pompeo said other U.N. members privately wanted the arms embargo extended but did not stand publicly with the U.S.
The United Nations Security Council Committee revised entries for two people and three entities on its Democratic Republic of the Congo Sanctions List, it said Aug. 19. The changes add identifying information, including addresses and personal details.
The Treasury and State departments on Aug. 20 sanctioned six members of the Syrian government and military to further pressure the Bashar Al-Assad regime. Treasury’s sanctions target Luna Al Shibl, a senior adviser and press officer for Assad, and Mohamad Ammar Saati bin Mohamad Nawzad, a longtime leader within the Syrian Ba’ath Party who has served in high-ranking government positions. The State Department sanctioned Yasser Ibrahim, an Assad supporter; Fadi Saqr, a Syrian National Defense Forces commander; Ghaith Dalah, an NDF brigadier general; and Samer Ismail, a regiment commander.
The Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned two United Arab Emirates-based companies and a business owner for supporting sanctioned Iranian airline Mahan Air, an Aug. 19 news release said. The designations target Parthia Cargo, Delta Parts Supply FZC and Iranian national Amin Mahdavi, who owns Parthia Cargo. OFAC said the companies provided “key parts and logistics services” that help Mahan Air sustain its fleet of “western manufactured aircraft.” The parts and services also help the airline transport terrorists, “lethal cargo” and technical equipment to Syria and Venezuela.
The United Nations Security Council Committee granted a sanctions exemption to allow a nongovernmental organization in South Korea to deliver humanitarian goods to North Korea, an Aug. 13 letter said. Medical Aid for Children is authorized to ship certain medical items, including dental equipment, for the next six months. The UNSC added that South Korea may conduct “necessary business and financial transactions only for the purchase of goods and services exempted” by the committee.
The U.S. will soon trigger snapback sanctions under the Iran nuclear deal after the United Nations Security Council rejected the U.S.’s attempt to extend the Iranian arms embargo (see 2008170017), Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said. Speaking during an Aug. 19 press conference, Pompeo said the U.S. expects the sanctions to be enforced even as other U.N. members question whether the U.S. has the authority to invoke the sanctions (see 2007010030 and 2006090047). “The president has made clear we’re going to do that soon, and we will,” Pompeo said. “We have every expectation that they’ll be enforced just like every other U.N. Security Council resolution that is in place.”
The European Union and the United Kingdom plan to sanction Belarusian authorities for their violence against peaceful protesters after the country’s presidential elections earlier this month. The EU is working on “new listings for sanctions against those responsible for violence,” Josep Borrell, EU’s foreign policy chief, said Aug. 18. U.K. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the EU needs to conduct an “independent investigation” into Belarus’ elections. “The UK will work with our international partners to sanction those responsible, and hold the Belarusian authorities to account,” Raab said. Borrell said EU heads of state will discuss sanctions actions during an Aug. 19 meeting.
Lithuania designated Hezbollah as a terrorist organization and imposed travel restrictions on members and “affiliated persons,” the Lithuania Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Aug. 13. The U.S. State Department applauded the move and asked other European countries to do the same. “We urge other EU member states to stand firm against this terrorist organization, both at the national and EU level, with the objective of preventing [Hezbollah] financers and members from operating on their territory,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Aug. 15.