Canada this month renewed an exemption that allows Canadian organizations and people to continue to carry out humanitarian-related transactions with Syrian institutions that would otherwise be blocked under Canada's sanctions laws. The country renewed the measure for six months, saying it "will support the delivery of assistance in Syria during this important period of political transition." The extension allows Canadians, including the Syrian diaspora, civil society, nonprofit and charitable organizations, to carry out "humanitarian and stabilization activities and make transactions with sanctioned banks, including the Central Bank of Syria."

The Council of the European Union on Sept. 12 extended its individual sanctions, imposed in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, for another six months, pushing them to March 15. The restrictions cover over 2,500 individuals and entities that were targeted "in response to Russia’s ongoing unjustified and unprovoked military aggression against Ukraine." The council also decided not to renew the listings for one individual and to remove one "deceased person" from the restrictions.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week issued a reminder to industry to file annual reports on blocked property by Sept. 30. Holders of blocked property must provide the agency "with a comprehensive list of all blocked property held as of June 30 of the current year," it said.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control's new general license for Belavia Belarusian Airlines (see 2509110029), the state-owned flagship carrier of Belarus, was issued last week because Belarusian authorities recently released dozens of political prisoners, "demonstrating their desire to re-engage with the West," a State Department spokesperson said in an email Sept. 12.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control last week sanctioned Gebreil Ibrahim Mohamed Fediel and the Al-Baraa Bin Malik Brigade for their ties both to Sudan’s civil war and Iran.

The U.K. on Sept. 12 added three people and 27 entities to its Russia sanctions list as part of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office's recent announcement of 100 new sanctions targeting Russia's "shadow fleet" -- which carries Russian oil -- along with "key suppliers of military components."

The Office of Foreign Assets Control issued a new general license this week to authorize certain transactions with Belavia Belarusian Airlines, the state-owned flagship carrier of Belarus, which was sanctioned by the U.S. in 2023 (see 2308090025). General License No. 11 authorizes certain transactions with the airline -- and any entity it owns by 50% or more -- that would normally be prohibited by the Belarus Sanctions Regulations.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week sanctioned more than 30 people, entities and vessels tied to the Iranian-backed Houthis. OFAC said the designations target companies and key Houthi "operatives" in Yemen, China, the United Arab Emirates and the Marshall Islands who are helping to fundraise, smuggle and procure weapons for the Houthis.

The U.S. is prepared to increase pressure on Russia through coordinated sanctions with the EU, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Sept. 7 on NBC's "Meet the Press." Bessent said that if the EU and the U.S. "can come in, do more sanctions, secondary tariffs on the countries that buy Russian oil," then the Russian economy "will be in full collapse. And that will bring President [Vladimir] Putin to the table." His comments come after what he described as a "very productive" phone call with the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. He said that the EU and the U.S. are in a race between how long the Ukrainian military can "hold up, versus how long can the Russian economy hold up."

The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week sanctioned a network of what it said are scam centers operating across Southeast Asia, saying they steal billions of dollars from Americans using forced labor and violence. The designations target people, companies and centers operating in Shwe Kokko, Myanmar, a "notorious hub for virtual currency investment scams," as well as 10 centers and affiliated people and entities in Cambodia.