A dual U.S. and Iranian citizen on Oct. 7 was arrested for allegedly violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act by sending digital and physical gift cards loaded with U.S. dollars to Iran, DOJ announced. Kambiz Eghbali, a Los Angeles resident, was charged alongside Iranian nationals Hamid Hajipour and Babak Bahizad for the scheme, which also included charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and commit money laundering.
The Group of 7 nations, including the U.S., are considering new sanctions against Iran in response to the country’s missile attacks against Israel this week, the White House said in a statement. A State Department spokesperson declined to say what type of sanctions the countries may take, but added that the U.S. “can always look to identify new ways to impose sanctions on Iran or to increase enforcement of our existing sanctions,” and “those are the measures that we’re looking at right now.”
A bipartisan group of six House members urged the Biden administration last week to step up enforcement of oil sanctions against Iran to reduce Tehran’s ability to fund terrorism.
Four Republican lawmakers urged the Biden administration Sept. 19 to carry out two new Iran sanctions laws, both of which have deadlines that already passed.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee ranking member Jim Risch, R-Idaho, and Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., urged European officials this week to increase sanctions on Iran for supporting Russia’s war against Ukraine, Politico reported.
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, denied claims that President Joe Biden has been too soft on Iran, saying the Biden administration has imposed more sanctions on Iran than its predecessor.
The U.K. on Sept. 10 added three entries to its Russian sanctions regime and seven people and entities to its Iran sanctions list, the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation announced in a pair of notices.
The U.K. added three people and one entity to its Iran sanctions regime Sept. 2, the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation announced. The individuals are Abdolfatah Ahvazian, Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps Commander Hamid Fazeli, and Behnam Shahriyari. IRGC Quds Force Unit 700 was listed for activity meant to "cause the destabilisation of the United Kingdom or any other country," OFSI said.
Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, urged the Biden administration Aug. 27 to increase its enforcement of Iran sanctions to reduce Tehran’s support for terrorist groups. "Instead of allowing the Iranian regime to prosper and withholding weapons from our greatest ally in the Middle East, I’m calling on the Biden-Harris administration to deny" Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' "ability to support and arm terrorists and provide Israel the resources it needs to decimate these terrorists once and for all," Ernst said. The senator made her comment after visiting the site in northern Israel where a rocket attack by Iran-backed Hezbollah killed 12 children last month. A State Department official recently said the administration is "vigorously enforcing" Iran sanctions (see 2408120032).
The Biden administration is pushing to implement the new Iran sanctions authorities that Congress approved four months ago, a National Security Council spokesperson said Aug. 15.