international sanctions news stories on Newser

Iran Helping Syria Skirt Sanctions

Kevin Spak — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 09:17:56 CST

Iran is quietly helping Syria evade US and European Union sanctions by selling its oil on the international market, US officials have discovered. Transit records show that one shipment last month saw more than 91000 metric tons of crude sent to Iran, the Wall Street Journal reports. An Iranian spokesman...

UN Sanctions Sought on Syria

Mark Russell — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 06:59:27 CDT

Seeking to ramp up condemnation of Syria beyond mere words , the European Union, with the support of the United States, has introduced draft resolution to the UN Security Council for a total arms embargo, requiring all sea and air cargo entering and leaving Syria to be inspected, reports the Wall...

US to Freeze Syrian Assets, Impose Sanctions

Kevin Spak — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 07:48:46 CDT

With the bloodshed mounting in the streets of Daraa , the Obama administration is preparing sanctions against Syria, including freezing the assets of top Syrian officials, the LA Times reports. That may not have a ton of impact, since Syrian officials don’t own all that many US assets to begin with,...

Zimbabwe's PM May Face Treason in WikiLeaks Fallout

Matt Cantor — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 06:03:24 CST

Zimbabwe’s prime minister could face treason charges over material in WikiLeaks’ cable releases, the Guardian reports. One leaked cable suggests Morgan Tsvangirai said sanctions against his country “must be kept in place.” Now the attorney general is planning an investigation. “The WikiLeaks appear to show a treasonous collusion between local...

UN Finally Lifts Saddam-Era Sanctions Against Iraq

Rob Quinn — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 01:19:02 CST

The United Nations has finally lifted sanctions to prevent Saddam Hussein's regime from gaining weapons of mass destruction—4 years after his execution. The Security Council voted unanimously to lift sanctions on weapons and civilian nuclear power and return control of Iraq's oil and gas revenue to its government, AP...

Iran Aims to Set Up Covert Banks in Muslim Countries

Matt Cantor — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 12:19:00 CDT

Iran is attempting to set up undercover banks across the Muslim world, hiding the institutions’ origins with fake names and misleading bureaucracy, the Washington Post reports. Iran is keeping establishments in countries like Iraq and Malaysia shrouded in secrecy as a means of working around tough sanctions, including the Treasury...

Israel, Iran Are a Lot Alike

Kevin Spak — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 13:33:03 CDT

Israel and Iran may be bitter enemies, but they actually have a lot in common when it comes to international politics, writes Reza Sanati for the Christian Science Monitor . Both view themselves as “the repeated victims of international law and global opinion,” the Middle Eastern Studies professor says. Israel has,...

North Korea: US Owes Us $65T

Kevin Spak — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 08:10:00 CDT

With the 60th anniversary of the Korean War fast approaching, cash-strapped North Korea is demanding that the US pay it nearly $65 trillion to repay it for the damage caused by those decades of hostility, the AFP reports. According to the regime's inscrutable math, the US owes $26.5 trillion...

Iran Says Nuclear Enrichment Has Begun

Harry Kimball — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 10:16:55 CST

Iran took its test of international resolve and patience to the next level today, with state media reporting that it has indeed begun to enrich uranium to a higher level, as threatened yesterday. UN inspectors were present, but couldn't confirm what exactly the Iranians are doing to their current stock...