Baladi News - Journals
The United States slapped on Tuesday sanctions against figures linked to an Iranian-Russian network that was providing millions of barrels of oil to the Syrian regime and funding the Hamas and Hezbollah groups.
The sanctions target six individuals and three entities.
US officials said Russia facilitated the delivery of oil from Iran to Syria, and that a variety of mechanisms were used in an attempt to conceal the shipments and oil-related payments.
"Today we are acting against a complex scheme Iran and Russia have used to bolster the (Bashar al-) Assad regime and generate funds for Iranian malign activity," US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement.
"Central Bank of Iran officials continue to exploit the international financial system," he added.
Among those targeted are Syrian national Mohammad Amer Alchwiki and his Russia-based company, Global Vision Group, the Treasury Department said in a statement.
Other targets include: Syrian national Hajji Abd Al-Nasir, Lebanon national Muhammad Qasim Al-Bazzal and Russian national Andrey Dogaev as well as Iranian nationals Rasoul Sajjad and Hossein Yaghoubi Miab, the statement said.
The US Treasury's designation of the individuals and entities effectively cuts them off from the global financial system by blocking any of their assets under US jurisdiction and warning non-US institutions against dealing with them.
Source: Asharq Alawsat