By April Kent

On April 15, Adam Szubin, the acting undersecretary of Treasury for terrorism and financial intelligence, warned against overusing sanctions in an address at the Center for a New American Security. He cautioned that “Even when sanctions do work, they can come with negative side effects,” such as retaliation from foreign governments, strain on diplomatic relations, and dampening commercial activity. Szubin’s concerns come as a reaction to the introduction of a bill in early April by Senators Mark Kirk and Marco Rubio that would keep Iran from gaining even indirect access to the U.S. financial system or using U.S. dollars in business transactions. The issue has become particularly important in this U.S. election year, as the remaining Republican presidential candidates have all vowed to tear up or back away from the nuclear deal, which Obama administration officials say would be calamitous.

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April 22, 2016

By Abbie Schepps

North Korea now boasts making nuclear warheads small enough to fit onto ballistic missiles. While skeptics question the miniaturized nuclear warhead’s validity, the international community has decided it is not unreasonable. South Korea has introduced unilateral sanctions. It designated 30 companies with links to the North’s nuclear and missile programs, as well as 38 North Korean nationals and two foreigners. All will be banned from the South Korean financial systems. This is the first time South Korea has targeted people and companies by name, a practice used by the United Nations, the United States, and the European Union. Additionally, in an effort to tighten import and export control, South Korea will deny any ships entry that have been to North Korea in the past 180 days. South Korea’s sanctions overlap with measures imposed by the United States and the United Nations. The sanctions illustrate the international community’s intentions to change North Korea.

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March 18, 2016

By Alex Yeager

The process back to normalized trade between Iran and the western world has been slow, but major companies are beginning to test the waters. Oil exporters, in particular, have begun to explore the untapped potential in the large Middle-Eastern nation. Both the United States and the European Union have lifted sanctions related to Iran’s nuclear program, but many grey areas remain in determining what constitutes legal trade and commerce between the two nations.

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February 18, 2016

By April Kent

The United States Treasury on Friday announced that it has imposed sanctions on four North Koreans, including the ambassador to Myanmar, and a North Korea-owned company based in Egypt, over connections to North Korea’s illicit weapons trade. All have ties to the Korea Mining Development Trading Corp., which U.S. officials have labeled Pyongyang’s “primary arms dealer.” It is hoped that the sanctions would obstruct North Korea’s funding for expansion of nuclear capabilities and weapons of mass destruction. Adam Szubin, the Treasury Under Secretary, stated “North Korea’s continued violation of international law and its commitment to the proliferation of ballistic missiles and weapons of mass destruction pose a serious threat to the United States and to global peace and security.” Although the U.S. has taken similar actions many times against North Korea, sanctioning an ambassador is unusual, demonstrating a more robust stance by the U.S.

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November 19, 2015

By Anthony Zurcher

EDF Energy, one of the United Kingdom’s larger energy companies, reached an agreement with China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN) to build a new nuclear power plant in Somerset. With a final cost of 18-24 billion pounds, the Hinkley Point plant is estimated to generate more than 25,000 jobs and enough energy to provide for 6 million homes. However, it will also be the most expensive plant in the world, leading many to criticize the decision to pursue the project. Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to formally seal the deal after having met with British Prime Minister David Cameron throughout the week.

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October 30, 2015

By Abraham Shanedling

 

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said that Hungary is against the European Union imposing sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Crimea.

 

In an interview with Vilaggazdasag newspaper, Orban said that economic sanctions are “not in the interests of either Europe, or much less Hungary.”

 

The comments are not surprising given that Russia is Hungary’s largest trading partner, with Hungary relying on Russia for the vast majority of its natural gas. Hungary also recently signed a 10 billion Europe deal with Russia to expand Hungary’s nuclear plant.

 

Reuters has more on the story.

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April 02, 2014

By Abraham Shanedling

An effort to impose additional sanctions on Iran’s nuclear program has likely stalled in Congress amid pressure from President Obama, who threatened to veto the measure, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who refused to put the bill to a vote.

The bipartisan bill, which has 58 cosponsors, including 15 Democrats, would implement sanctions on Iran unless it agrees to halt all of its uranium enrichment. However, the White House has been openly against the move, warning that it could thwart the current deal in place with Iran and the P5+1.

Instead members of the House and Senate are considering a weaker non-binding resolution expressing concern about Iran’s nuclear ambitions and calling for negotiators to set stricter conditions on the negotiations.

On Tuesday, February 4, at 10 a.m., the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations is hosting a hearing on the current negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program. Set to testify is Wendy Sherman of the Department of State; David Cohen of Department of Treasury; David Albright of the Institute for Science and International Security; and Mark Dubowitz of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

Head to Reuters for more on the issue. 

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February 03, 2014

By Abraham Shanedling

The United States and five other world powers announced late Saturday night that they had reached an agreement with Iran that would temporarily freeze much of Iran’s nuclear program in return for $6 to $7 billion in sanctions relief.

The full text of the agreement, which is to last six months, can be found here.

Although the agreement requires Iran to stop enriching uranium beyond 5 percent, the deal does not require Iran to completely cease enrichment, including to low levels of 3.5 percent or to dismantle any of its existing centrifuges.

Appearing on live television shortly after the announcement of the deal, President Obama said the agreement includes "substantial limitations that will help prevent Iran from creating a nuclear weapon."

A White House statement called the nuclear agreement an "initial, six-month step," and noted that the accord includes limits on Iran's ability to "produce weapons-grad plutonium" from its heavy water reactor in Arak.

On Sunday however, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has consistently expressed his distrust with Iran, called the agreement a "historic mistake," likening the agreement to that reached with North Korea in 2005.

Meanwhile, with the agreement in place, Congressional efforts to ratchet up sanctions will now be on pause at least for the six-month window.

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November 24, 2013

By Abraham Shanedling

In advance of this week’s follow-up round of nuclear talks in Geneva, the Washington Institute for Near East Policy is hosting a policy forum on Tuesday, Nov. 19, to discuss the strategic, political, and technical aspects of a proposed agreement with Iran.

The discussion will feature Dennis Ross, Olli Heinonen, and Robert Satloff.

Dennis Ross is counselor at The Washington Institute and former senior Middle East adviser to President Barack Obama.

Olli Heinonen is a senior fellow with the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University and a former deputy director-general for safeguards at the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Robert Satloff is executive director of The Washington Institute.

More on how to RSVP or watch the event via webcast can be found here.

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November 18, 2013

 Photo courtesy of the U.S. State Department. 

By Abraham Shanedling

Secretary of State John Kerry met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Wednesday in Rome, seeking to assure Israel of the Obama administration’s resolve in negotiating with Iran.

However, as The New York Times reported, Kerry’s comments did little to persuade Netanyahu, who demanded that any deal with Iran must include a ban on uranium-enriching centrifuges and the dismantling of a plutonium heavy water plant in Arak.

“We will pursue a diplomatic initiative with eyes wide open,” Kerry told reporters, adding that Iran would be held to the same standards as other states if it was to prove its nuclear program is peaceful.

Netanyahu stressed to Kerry that Iran’s nuclear program poses an existential threat to Israel. “They should get rid of the amassed fissile material, and they shouldn’t have underground nuclear facilities,” Netanyahu told reporters.

The next round of nuclear negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 are scheduled for early next month in Geneva.

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October 24, 2013

By Abraham Shanedling

An Iranian lawmaker told Iran's state-run news website Press TV that the closure of the Fordow nuclear facility is not on the agenda of Iranian negotiators during upcoming talks with world powers in Geneva.

The official, Mohammad Hossein Asafari, a member of Iran’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, told the Iranian news agency that Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator Abbas Araqchi has told Western powers that Tehran will not stop uranium enrichment and will not close the Fordow plant.

Asafari was quoted as saying that the decision on the acceptance of the Additional Protocol, which allows the International Atomic Agency to inspect nuclear plants, is solely up to the Majlis (the Iranian parliament).

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Bejamin Netanyahu, who is meeting with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in Rome on Wednesday, is expected to caution against easing Western sanctions on Iran.

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October 22, 2013