The news, anew
The United States imposed sanctions on Thursday against Cuba's Banco Internacional de Comercio S.A. (BICSA) due to its ties with Iran's Karafarin Bank, which has been under sanctions since 2020. The measures were part of US efforts to ramp up economic pressure on Iran. Washington accuses BICSA of maintaining ties with Karafarin Bank since at least 2022.
Politics
Rubio spoke to Lebanese president about confiscated Hezbollah explosives, says official US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Lebanon's president Joseph Aoun during a phone call on Thursday that he should not return the several hundred kilograms of explosives that Lebanese authorities seized from Hezbollah, a US official told reporters on condition of anonymity. "He urged President Aoun to hold accountable all those who ordered, financed, and directed the shipment, and underscored that retur…
Politics
The US Treasury Department on Thursday extended a sanctions waiver on Russian oil giant Lukoil for service stations outside Russia through April 2027. The move allows Lukoil-branded stations in countries like the United States to continue serving customers until April 24 next year. An earlier license enabling such transactions would have expired towards the end of this month.
Politics
Iraq's parliament voted Thursday to appoint ministers to previously vacant Cabinet posts and complete the country's government, including a deputy prime minister who is under US sanctions. Laith al-Khazali, appointed to that post, is the brother of Qais al-Khazali, leader of the Iran-backed Asaib Ahl al-Haq armed faction. Laith al-Khazali was arrested by US forces in 2007 over allegations related to an attack targeting American forces in Karbala in January of that year, which resulted in the deaths of five US soldiers.
