To Europe’s dismay, US sanctions entire Iran financial sector
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has blacklisted virtually all of Iran’s financial sector, dealing another blow to an economy that is already reeling under U.S. sanctions. The move will deepen tensions with European nations and others over Iran.
Thursday’s move hits 18 Iranian banks that had escaped the bulk of reimposed U.S. sanctions and, more importantly, subjects foreign, non-Iranian financial institutions to penalties for doing business with them. Thus, it effectively cuts them off from the international financial system.
“Today’s action to identify the financial sector and sanction 18 major Iranian banks reflects our commitment to stop illicit access to U.S. dollars,” said Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. “Our sanctions programs will continue until Iran stops its support of terrorist activities and ends its nuclear programs. Today’s actions will continue to allow for humanitarian transactions to support the Iranian people.”
The action targets 16 Iranian banks for their role in the country’s financial sector, one bank for being owned or controlled by another sanctioned Iranian bank and one military-affiliated bank, Treasury said in a statement. Some of them had been covered by previous designations, but Thursday’s move places them all under the same authority covering Iran’s entire financial sector.
Foreign companies that do business with those banks were given 45 days to wind down their operations before facing “secondary sanctions.”
European nations have opposed the blanket financial services blacklisting because it will open up their biggest banks and and other companies to U.S. penalties for conducting business with Iran that had previously been allowed.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif reacted angrily to the designations, calling them a “crime against humanity” at a time of global crisis.
Facebook misinformation:
Facebook has removed 276 accounts that used fake profiles to pose as right-leaning Americans and comment on news articles, often in favor of President Donald Trump, the company announced Thursday.
The platform also permanently banned an Arizona-based digital communications firm that it said was behind the fake accounts.
The move was prompted by reporting last month in The Washington Post that a pro-Trump group known as Turning Point Action was paying teenagers to post coordinated, supportive messages, a violation of Facebook’s rules.
Facebook and Twitter have been regularly removing fake accounts — both domestic and foreign — that try to insert themselves in the U.S. political discourse and influence the election. But social media companies face broader threats around misinformation and voter suppression that at times come from Trump himself.
GOP fundraiser charged:
Elliott Broidy, a prominent fundraiser for President Donald Trump and the Republican Party, has been charged in an illicit lobbying campaign aimed at getting ists who are accused of tions in four big cities where the Trump administration using false robocalls to disthe virus is spreading raptoidly.dropaninvestigationintosuadeBlackresidentsin the multibillion-dollar lootDetroit and other DemoHealth Minister Olivier ing of a Malaysian state cratic-leaning U.S. cities Veran said the virus situainvestment fund. from voting by mail. tion “keeps deteriorating in
Broidy is the latest perThe magistrate entered France unfortunately” with son accused by the Justice not-guilty pleas on behalf of “more and more people Department of participaJack Burkman, 54, of Arinfected” and “more and ting in the covert lobbying lington, Virginia, and Jacob more people who are geteffort, which also sought to Wohl, 22, of Los Angeles. ting sick.” arrange for the return of a Scott Grabel, the lawyer Hospitals in Paris and its Chinese dissident living in for Burkman, said the suburbs activated an emerthe U.S. A consultant, Nickie charges were an “absolute gency plan as COVID-19 Lum Davis, pleaded guilty atrocity” and a “publicity patients now fill 40% of the in August for her role in the stunt” by Michigan Attorregion’s intensive care units. scheme. ney General Dana Nessel, a
The case was filed this Democrat. week in federal court in The calls falsely warned
Washington, D.C., with residents in majority-Black
Broidy facing a single conDetroit and cities in New spiracy charge related to his York, Pennsylvania, Ohio failure to register under the and Illinois that if they vote
Foreign Agents Registration by mail in the Nov. 3 elec
Act, which requires people tion, they could be sublobbying in the U.S. on jected to arrest, debt collecbehalf of a foreign entity to tion and forced vaccination, disclose that work to the investigators said.
Justice Department.
A lawyer for Broidy declined to comment Thursday.
Political robocalls case:
A judge on Thursday set bond at $100,000 for two conservative political activ
COVID -19 i n Fra nce: French health authorities on Thursday ordered Paris hospitals to activate emergency measures to cope with fast-rising numbers of COVID-19 patients and announced stricter restric
EU’s asylum policy: European Union interior ministers agreed Thursday that sweeping new proposals to revamp the bloc’s failed asylum system should form the basis for negotiations on building a fresh policy for managing the arrival of unauthorized migrants in Europe.
However, the ministers sought clarification about many aspects of the proposals — brought forward by the European Commission in a package dubbed the New Pact for Migration and Asylum — particularly on new plans to deport people who aren’t permitted to stay.
The plan is aimed at ending years of chaos at Europe’s borders and a political crisis sparked by migrant arrivals that has seen some EU countries turn their backs on Greece, Italy, Malta and Spain, where most people seeking better lives enter.
NKorea stirring: For months, North Korea has been relatively uncombative, as leader Kim Jong Un grapples with the coronavirus pandemic, natural disasters and the deepening economic pain under years of tough U.S.-led sanctions.
But ahead of the 75th founding anniversary of his ruling party this weekend, speculation has risen that Kim may hold a massive military parade and unveil newly developed, powerful missiles.
The goal, experts say, would be to bolster internal unity and draw U.S. attention amid deadlocked nuclear diplomacy between the countries.