Sanctions

Pentagon demands audit of 30 universities, investigating Russian, Chinese, Iranian research ties

The Defense Department did not publicly list the 30 US schools to be reviewed for suspected ties to 130 research institutes based in Russia, China, and Iran, including civilian universities.

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth holds a briefing on the Iran war, amid a ceasefire between the US and Iran, at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, US, April 24, 2026.
European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and European Commission Vice-President Kaja Kallas looks on ahead of the start of a meeting under the European defense and foreign ministers format in Brussels, Belgium, December 1, 2025.

EU planning to expand sanctions against Russia, foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas says

An Oil tanker named Yu fu Zuo unload imported crude oil at the crude oil terminal of in Qingdao port, in China's eastern Shandong province on July 16, 2026.

China-based Hengli Group main importer of sanctioned Iranian crude oil, analysts say - report

US President Donald Trump listens to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speak ahead of the launch of Trump investment accounts in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on July 6, 2026.

What are Trump's options as he seeks to pile more economic pressure on Iran? - explainer


US imposes sanctions targeting Hezbollah financial network, State Department says

According to the statement, the sanctions are intended to disrupt fundraising and money laundering activities carried out on behalf of Hezbollah’s finance team.

Photos of prominent Hezbolla leaders are seen at the site of a reported IDF air strike on March 19, 2026 in Baalbek, Lebanon.

DOJ probing Iran's use of Binance crypto-exchange to avoid US sanctions

The probe follows an internal Binance investigation into suspicious transactions that allegedly identified more than $1 billion in flows connected to a network funding Iran-backed terrorist groups.

A Bitcoin is seen on the background of the Iranian flag (illustrative)

Dutch prosecutors drop Samos case against Israeli businessman Dan Gertler

The decision adds to a broader pattern of legal cases falling away around Gertler after years of scrutiny tied to mining deals in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Israeli businessman Dan Gertler.

Iranian ships leave Chinese port with suspected missile fuel during war - report

Two sanctioned Iranian vessels departed a Chinese chemical port carrying what experts say may be sodium perchlorate, a key missile fuel ingredient, raising questions about Beijing’s Tehran relations.

Container ship Valili carrying Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) cargo is seen in the waters of Singapore Strait off Sentosa island February 6, 2012; illustrative.

Venezuela suspends 19 oil, gas production-sharing contracts signed under Maduro, sources say

Venezuela's oil ministry suspends 19 production-sharing contracts, including projects in Lake Maracaibo and the Orinoco Belt, as part of a broader review of deals linked to US sanctions.

An illustration of oil rigs over a background of a Venezuelan flag.

Former IDF intel. officer sentenced to prison term in Greek spying case

Tal Dilian and his partner, Sara Aleksandra Fayssal Hamou, were sentenced to prison in Greece for illegal surveillance, including monitoring government officials and journalists with spyware.

Former Israeli intelligence officer and spyware CEO Tal Dilian poses at his home in Limassol, Cyprus, April 2020; illustrative.

US expands Iran sanctions, targets illegal petroleum 'shadow fleet,' weapon production

Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control also targeted multiple networks that enable Iran to secure the precursor materials and machinery required for ballistic missile and other weapons.

A sailboat sails as a boat approaches to the boarding ladder of the Iranian oil tanker Grace 1 as it sits anchored after it was seized in July by British Royal Marines off the coast of the British Mediterranean territory on suspicion of violating sanctions against Syria, in the Strait of Gibraltar,

UK targets Russia's Transneft in new sanctions on fourth anniversary of Ukraine war

The sanctioning of Transneft, one of the world's largest pipeline firms, brings the number of people, companies, and ships sanctioned under Britain's Russia measures to more than 3,000.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivers remarks at the top of the Cabinet meeting to mark the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine at Downing Street on February 24, 2026 in London, England.

Cryptocurrency platforms facilitated Iran's evasion of sanctions, US suspects

US authorities are examining whether crypto platforms helped Iranian officials evade sanctions, as digital currency use in Iran surged to billions of dollars last year.

A Bitcoin is seen on the background of the Iranian flag (illustrative)

US issues sanctions on six Iranian officials for crackdown on protesters as rial hits record low

The sanctions will target six officials who “oversee the Iranian security forces responsible for the violent crackdowns on protesters,” including Iran’s minister of the interior.

A PERSON walks past a sign at a currency exchange, as the value of the Iranian Rial drops, in Tehran, Iran, December 30, 2025.