Quoted: “Protections already exist for humanitarian trade,” but this “has a major chilling effect on any financial entities considering doing business with Iran.
Note: humanitarian transactions take place through the central bank of Iran thanks to General License No. 8 and not through these 14-16 banks. OFAC also gives comfort letters to foreign banks and a Swiss channel exists to facilitate this trade: sanctionsnews.bakermckenzie.com/ofac-issues-ne…
The blacklisting of the financial sector is a logical extension of the FinCEN 311 finding and the reimposition of countermeasures by FATF. The entire financial sector supports regime’s illicit activities.
Part of sanctions wall of market & political deterrence to persuade companies & banks to stay out of Iran.
This will important if Biden wrongly returns to the JCPOA and tries to fill regime’s coffers with tens of billions of dollars to finance its destructive activities.
And, of course, the unsanctioned trade still taking place does make a difference to Iran’s economy: “Iran has continued to do business with several countries including China and the United Arab Emirates, with total non-oil foreign trade reaching $24.6 billion in March-August.”
Warning ⚠️ Biden-Harris administration about to launch an economic warfare campaign against Israel. On February 1st, they issued Executive Order 14115, establishing first-ever U.S. sanctions program explicitly targeting an ally. They intend a major escalation in the lame duck.
“This dynamic may explain why the Biden administration created a sanctions regime against Israel. The rapidly expanding blacklist—against any Israeli deemed an obstacle to peace—may be the most dangerous innovation in U.S.-Israel policy. Harris staffer Ilan Goldenberg reportedly played an enthusiastic role in developing the sanctions. He’s now her Jewish outreach director.”
Here’s what you need to know about the “Butcher of Tehran”
1. Raisi’s Role in Iran’s 1988 Massacre of Political Dissidents
Raisi played a key role in Tehran’s 1988 massacre of thousands of political prisoners, serving on a four-member panel known as a Death Commission, which decided who would live and who would die. The commission would conduct interviews of prisoners — often just a few minutes long — aimed at determining their loyalty to the Islamic Republic. Typical questions included: “What is your political affiliation?” “Do you pray?” “Are you willing to clear minefields for the Islamic Republic?” The wrong answer meant death.
The executions usually occurred by hanging or by firing squad on the same day as the interrogations. The Death Commissions denied prisoners both lawyers and appeals. Burials occurred in unmarked mass graves, and the regime refused to tell relatives the locations of the bodies. The victims included women and children as young as 13.
2. Raisi’s Human Rights Abuses in the Judiciary
During the 2009 Green Revolution, Raisi servedas deputy chief justice, making him complicit in the prosecution — and, in some cases, the death sentences — of peaceful protesters who objected to Iran’s fraudulent election. As attorney general from 2014 to 2016, Raisi opposed lifting the regime’s house arrests of the Green Revolution’s leaders.
1. This morning, Iran-backed Hamas fired thousands of rockets from Gaza at Israel, while Hamas terrorists invaded Israeli towns and roamed the streets while murdering and kidnapping innocent Israeli men, women and children.
2. Israeli men, women and possibly children (not confirmed) have been kidnapped and taken hostage in this unprecedented attack. Some of the hostage situations within Israeli communities are ongoing at this moment.
3. There are over 20 locations of ongoing conflict in Israeli communities in southern Israel. IDF soldiers are currently engaged in direct combat with these terrorists.
The problem with this piece is that it ignores the substantial national interests of the leaders.
1. MBS wants a security deal with the US to establish KAA as a regional & global powerhouse. Needs US security guarantees, guaranteed FMS, free trade agreement & nuclear industry.
2. Biden wants a deal with KSA to limit Chinese regional influence, to secure oil trades in dollars, to build a regional military & security alliance to constrain Iran, and to promote greater prosperity and stability in the Middle East.
3. MBS & Biden want a deal with Bibi because Israel is a military, intelligence and economic powerhouse that, despite its current internal issues, is a vital American and Saudi partner.
Both understand Israel can reassure Congress about military & nuclear concessions MBS wants.
Look at the different split screens and you will see the Biden administration seems dead set on concluding a nuclear arrangement while bypassing review by Congress.
Let’s take a look:
1. Green-lighting $6 billion in ransom payments and $3 billion in additional cash payment from Iraq to Iran, while turning a blind eye to massive increases in Chinese purchases of Iranian oil.
2. Negotiating in secret and bypassing Congress in violation of U.S. law., which requires congressional review of any deal or arrangement.
2. Amman incites against Israel every Ramadan, fanning the flames of Palestinian violence in Jerusalem.
3. The Jordanians refuse to join moderate Arab states like the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco and Egypt in pursuing normalization with Israel.
4. And, now, a Jordanian lawmaker has been arrested by Israel for trying to smuggle weapons and gold across the border with Israel, to arm and fund Palestinians for terror attacks against Israelis.