Sanctions

• Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian announced Tehran's readiness to establish joint security arrangements with neighboring countries. • The announcement comes as the conflict with the United States reached the six-month mark on Friday. • Pezeshkian emphasized that these diplomatic outreach efforts are based on Iran's "experience of war" rather than a position of weakness.

• Iran has vowed to resist U.S. sanctions as the conflict involving the United States and Israel passes the six-month mark. • Despite U.S. blockades of Iranian ports and significant disruptions to ship traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, neither side shows signs of backing down. • China continues to access Iranian crude oil via Central Asian highways and railways, mitigating the impact of the maritime blockade.

• Iran is calling for a global effort to oppose U.S. sanctions while maintaining that diplomatic solutions remain possible. • The Iranian government demanded an immediate end to the conflict in the Gaza Strip, alongside an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon and a cessation of attacks on Syria. • In a strategic shift, Iran has opened a "temporary and limited" corridor for ships passing through the Hormuz Strait.

• President Trump asserted that the financial strength of the U.S. and the implementation of sanctions will lead to a "very big victory" over Iran. • Amidst the geopolitical tension, Trump clarified that he does not believe Iran's supreme leader has passed away. • Simultaneously, two major petrochemical facilities in southwestern Iran have suspended production to combat power shortages caused by a severe heat wave.

US labels group ‘global terrorist’ as its legal challenge against proscription in UK nears supreme court hearingThe US ⁠has ​issued sanctions against ⁠the UK-based direct action organisation Palestine ⁠Action, describing it as a “transnational terror group”.The US Department of the Treasury labelled Palestine Action a specially designated global terrorist on Wednesday, which allows the US to freeze the assets of foreign individuals and entities. Continue reading...

• China has criticized new U.S. sanctions against Iran, warning that the measures will further intensify regional tensions. • Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf stated on Tuesday that the U.S. will face defeat in its economic actions, following alleged military and political failures. • Iran has declared it is "fully prepared" to retaliate and counter the impact of the new sanctions.

• On Monday, August 24, 2026, the United States announced a new series of sanctions targeting Iran amid escalating tensions. • The measures are part of a broader strategic effort involving the US and Israel to curb Iranian activities and influence in the region. • These sanctions aim to exert economic pressure on the Iranian government to prevent further military escalation and destabilization.

• Iran's economy minister stated the nation is prepared for a massive wave of U.S. sanctions, which Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent characterized as an "economic D-Day" and the "greatest financial offensive" in history. • Simultaneously, Iranian official Abbas Golrou revealed that the U.S. used a visiting Pakistani delegation to urge Tehran to return to peace talks and a previous memorandum of understanding. • This diplomatic outreach occurred during a visit to Tehran on Monday by Pakistani Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, who delivered the message from Washington.

• China has formally criticized new U.S. sanctions against Iran, with foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian warning that the measures will intensify tensions and create "spillover risks." • In response to the sanctions, Iran has declared it is "fully prepared" to retaliate and counter the U.S. actions. • China emphasized that its cooperation with Iran remains within the framework of international law and stated it will take necessary measures to safeguard its own interests.

Beijing says it will take ‘all necessary measures’ to protect its interests as US steps up efforts to isolate TehranExplainer: could US sanctions threaten China-Iran ties?China has denounced the threat of US sanctions for its trade with Iran, saying any such measures would be illegal, and warned it will take “all necessary measures” to protect its national interests.Beijing’s rejection of the US threat of secondary sanctions for any country or entity continuing to trade with Tehran had been predicted. China buys an estimated 80% of Iran’s oil exports and it has defied previous US efforts to limit the flow of revenue to the Tehran regime. Continue reading...

• Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that the Trump administration is preparing new secondary sanctions targeting Iran. • The proposed measures are designed to block all potential sources of revenue for the Iranian government. • These sanctions threaten to penalize any international entity or individual continuing to do business with Iran.

• Iran has issued warnings of a "harsh response" following expectations that the United States will impose new economic sanctions. • The Iranian government indicated that the consequences of these anticipated measures could extend to its neighboring countries. • China has intervened by urging all involved parties to avoid actions that could intensify regional conflicts or disrupt global financial stability.

Washington launches campaign to isolate Tehran but it is unclear whether it would apply sanctions to ChinaThe US has threatened to impose severe sanctions against any country or entity maintaining economic ties with Iran, hoping to achieve with economic measures what military means have so far failed to do.However, it is unclear how far the Trump administration is prepared to go in confronting China, Iran’s biggest trading partner, which has signalled its resistance to US economic pressure to cut off links with an ally. Continue reading...

Test of US rhetoric will rest on whether nations such as India, China and Russia view economic threats as credibleIran has vowed to retaliate against any country that cooperates with the US attempt to impose fresh sanctions against Iran in what the Treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, has billed as “the single greatest financial offensive ever marshalled against an adversary”.In advance of the US announcement, the United Arab Emirates, Iran’s single biggest trading partner in the Middle East, announced it was ending all trade with Iran, a move Tehran believes was coordinated between Washington and Dubai. Continue reading...

• Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian acknowledged on Sunday that Iran is facing "many problems" and is effectively in a "full-scale war" due to mounting economic and social pressures. • The crisis is exacerbated by looming US sanctions designed to further isolate the Iranian regime and cripple its financial capabilities. • This admission highlights the severe instability within the country as the government struggles to manage domestic unrest and international diplomatic isolation.

• The US has vowed to apply its toughest pressure on Iran and expanded sanctions against Hezbollah to curb regional instability. • While Hamas has expressed support for Donald Trump’s Gaza peace roadmap, Iran has dismissed the US campaign as a failed attempt to force its capitulation. • China has rejected the use of sanctions, urging the involved parties to seek political and diplomatic solutions instead.

• The US has signaled an increase in economic pressure on Iran and imposed new sanctions against Hezbollah amid stalled wartime diplomacy. • President Donald Trump has threatened "crushing economic warfare," though analysts note Iran has developed a "survival economy" to withstand long-term sanctions. • To increase effectiveness, the US Treasury suggests cracking down on clandestine trade and banking networks operating primarily through Singapore, Hong Kong, and the UAE.

• On August 20, 2026, the United States government imposed a new round of sanctions on Hezbollah. • The U.S. administration cited the group's direct links to the Iranian government as the primary justification for these measures. • These sanctions aim to disrupt the financial networks and operational capabilities of the organization by targeting its ties to state sponsorship.

Courier network carried millions of dollars in cash to Lebanon on commercial flights, treasury department saysThe US treasury department announced sanctions on Thursday against 10 people it says formed a courier network that smuggled hundreds of millions of dollars to Hezbollah by carrying cash onboard commercial flights between Iran, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Lebanon.The office of foreign assets control (OFAC) said the network allowed Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group,to obtain foreign currency and dodge sanctions outside the formal banking system. The treasury department linked the operation to a scheme once associated with Behnam Shahriyari, a now-deceased finance official for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force. Continue reading...

Trump administration put sanctions on the international criminal court’s president and a senior trial lawyerThe international criminal court on Wednesday condemned the latest US sanctions targeting senior ICC staff, including its president, as a “flagrant attack” on the global tribunal’s independence and vowed to continue seeking justice for atrocities around the world.The state department announced Tuesday that it had hit ICC president Tomoko Akane, a Japanese national, and ICC senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye, who is from Senegal, with sanctions that freeze any assets they have in US jurisdictions or come into contact with the US financial system. Continue reading...

Marco Rubio announced measures against Tomoko Akane and Abdoulaye Seye, who was investigating Israel’s war crimes in GazaThe US will sanction the president of the international criminal court (ICC) and a prosecutor tasked with investigating crimes committed by Israel during its war on Gaza.The new sanctions designations were unveiled by Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, who called the Hague-based ICC a “corrupt and fatally politicized supranational court that has maliciously abused its authority and exceeded its mandate”, in a statement. Continue reading...

Lawsuit challenges Trump’s executive order targeting the ICC for its investigation of Israeli crimes in PalestineFour prominent US human rights organizations have accused the Trump administration of using its “crippling” sanctions regime against the international criminal court (ICC) to undermine global efforts to prosecute war crimes and crimes against humanity.In a lawsuit filed in federal court on Tuesday, the groups – the American Friends Service Committee, the Center for Constitutional Rights, Human Rights Watch and the Open Society Institute – argued that the administration’s targeting of the ICC, as well as of groups and individuals affiliated with it or assisting its work, amounts to a “blatantly illegal attack on international justice”, the groups said. Continue reading...

• The United States and Europe have reintroduced sanctions against Russia and issued warnings regarding Moscow's perceived threats to NATO. • The article argues that these diplomatic and economic measures are being used as a "smoke screen" to hide significant Western military failures. • Key concerns highlighted include the expenditure of billions of dollars and emerging scandals surrounding the deployment of Western weaponry in Ukraine.

Late senator spent final days of his life working to advance bill that will now head to the House after 86-11 Senate voteBy a large, bipartisan margin, the US Senate on Friday approved a bill intended to punish Russia and countries that buy its petroleum exports over the invasion of Ukraine, capping a legislative push that was spurred by the death of its champion, the Republican senator Lindsey Graham.The measure, renamed the Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia Act in honor of the late senator’s work on the issue, was approved by an 86-11 vote. Continue reading...

• The United States has imposed new sanctions on entities located in China, India, Russia, and Iran due to alleged links with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). • This escalation follows a 24-hour period of exchanged military strikes between the U.S. and Iran, ending several days of relative calm. • The situation is critical as faltering diplomacy and the involvement of additional regional powers increase the risk of a wider conflict across the Middle East.

• China has vowed to take "all necessary measures" in response to potential U.S. sanctions targeting Chinese artificial intelligence firms. • The threat follows U.S. allegations that Chinese companies improperly utilized American AI models to train and develop their own proprietary systems. • This escalation highlights the growing geopolitical tension and "tech war" between the two superpowers over AI dominance and intellectual property.

• U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has warned that Chinese firms, including Moonshot AI, may face sanctions or be added to the U.S. Entity List. • The accusations stem from reports that Moonshot AI allegedly used proprietary outputs from American models, such as those from Anthropic, to develop its latest large language model, Kimi K3. • This move signals a tightening of U.S. oversight regarding the misuse of advanced American AI technology by foreign competitors to accelerate their own development.

• The European Union is preparing to issue a fine against an unnamed US technology company for violating the bloc's digital fairness regulations. • The EU has officially approved its 21st package of sanctions, marking a significant escalation in its restrictive measures. • The sanctions approval faced pushback, including exclusive criticisms from a Baltic head of state who spoke with Euronews.