US imposes new sanctions on 25 Iranian individuals and entities
The US Treasury Department added 25 individuals and companies to its Iran sanctions list. At the same time, discussions are ongoing about extending exemptions for a number of countries from the Iranian oil embargo.
The US Treasury imposed new sanctions on Iran on Tuesday, March 26.
The US Treasury Department's website states that the department has added 25 individuals and companies headquartered in Iran, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates to its sanctions list against Iran.
According to Reuters, several banks and financial institutions, such as Ansar Bank, Atlas Exchange, and Iranian Atlas Company, are on the new list.
The sanctioned individuals include Mohammad Reza Al-Ali, Ali Reza Atabaki, Reza Dastgir, Ayatollah Ebrahimi, Iman Sedaghat, Ali Shams Molavi, Suleyman Sakan – a Turkish citizen, Asadollah Seifi, Mohammad Vakili – a resident of the UAE.
The sanctioned entities include: Ansar Bank Brokerage Company, Ansar Exchange, Ansar Information Technology Company, Atlas Dewiz Trading - Turkey, Atlas Exchange, Golden Commodities Company - UAE, Hital Exchange, Atlas Iranian Company, Libra Moon Company - UAE, Naria Company - UAE, Sakan Exchange, Sakan Trading Company - UAE, Best Leader Trading Company - UAE, Zagros Pardis Kish.
Extension of exemption from Iran oil sanctions?
Meanwhile, as May approaches, the debate over extending the exemption of some Iranian oil buyers from US sanctions is intensifying.
South Korean officials have announced that they plan to request a further extension of the waiver from sanctions on Iranian oil purchases during a trip to Washington this week. The deadline for this waiver has been set for May.
According to Reuters, the South Korean government said in a statement on March 25 that its deputy foreign minister would meet with U.S. State Department officials on Wednesday and Thursday to discuss the country's exemption from sanctions on Iranian oil. South Korea was among the countries that were exempted from sanctions on Iran in November on the condition that purchases be reduced and for a specific period of time.
China, India, Japan, Taiwan, Turkey, Italy, and Greece were other countries that benefited from the aforementioned exemption. In exchange for this exemption, they had to reduce their purchases of Iranian oil to zero within a six-month period (until May).
Japan is also seeking to extend the aforementioned exemption, but has announced that if the exemption is not extended, it will end its oil purchases from Iran in April.
Source: DW
