Iran is engaged in an elaborate oil smuggling scheme that enables it to skirt international sanctions as it transmits valuable crude oil to China, according to an investigation by an Iran watchdog group released last week.
The Obama administration has granted Iran sanctions waivers to 11 countries, allowing them to import Tehran’s heavily sanctioned crude oil for another 180 days as they attempt to wean themselves off of the product.
A growing number of United States companies have been forced to disclose their business ties to Iran following the recent implementation of a sanctions measure that forced these often-clandestine dealings into the spotlight.
European Union leaders are scheduled to meet Thursday to consider United States demands that the E.U. cut off Iran’s access to a central European financial institution, according to U.S. government officials apprised of the meeting.
Billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars are being wasted in Afghanistan on fruitless reconstruction projects that are awash in corruption and have little government oversight, according to the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR).
European Union courts have quietly rolled back economic sanctions on several Iranian banks that have long been suspected of transferring funds to terrorist groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, among others.
Sen. Mark Kirk (R., Ill.) is recovering quickly after suffering a near-fatal stroke last January. He plans to join the new Congress on Jan. 3 to continue his campaign for Iranian economic sanctions, the Weekly Standard reports.
The former chief of naval operations said a United States military strike against Iran would be difficult because of the size of the country and the distances to targets.
The Obama administration on Friday announced symbolic sanctions on terrorist group Hezbollah for providing “extensive logistical support” to beleaguered Syrian despot Bashar Assad, the Associated Press reports.
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