China’s Foreign Ministry imposed retaliatory sanctions against U.S. officials, lawmakers and entities for the State Department’s decision this month to designate Chinese and Hong Kong officials (see 2101150038). China sanctioned U.S. executive branch officials, members of Congress and nongovernmental organizations that “behaved egregiously” on Hong Kong-related issues, a ministry spokesperson said Jan. 18 during a regular agency press conference, according to a transcript it provided. She did not provide names. China urged the U.S. to “stop meddling with Hong Kong affairs.” The move follows Chinese announcements last year of similar retaliatory sanctions against U.S. officials (see 2012100022). The White House didn’t comment.
The State Department sanctioned a Russian entity and a vessel involved in the construction of the Russian gas pipeline Nord Stream 2 (see 2008110016 and 2007150021). The sanctions target KVT-RUS and the vessel Fortuna, the State Department said Jan. 19. The two were designated under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act. State said it will consider “further actions in the near term” to target the pipeline.
The State Department expanded the scope of its sanctions authorities on Iran’s metals sector (see 1905080065) by identifying 15 materials used in the country’s nuclear, military and ballistic missile programs, a Jan. 15 news release said. The agency said people or companies that “knowingly transfer” the materials are now sanctionable under the Iran Freedom and Counter-Proliferation Act. The State Department also continued its sanctions authority targeting Iran’s construction sector after determining that the U.S.-sanctioned Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps still controls the sector.
The State Department released a notice Jan. 19 outlining sanctions against a person and an entity involved in the prevention of a ceasefire in northern Syria. The notice targets Syrian militia commander Saqr Rustom and the Syrian National Defense Forces. The sanctions were effective Nov. 9, 2020.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control issued four new general licenses and three frequently asked questions to help sustain the flow of humanitarian aid to Yemen, according to a Jan. 19 notice. General License No. 9, No. 10 and No. 11 authorize certain transactions by the U.S. government, certain international organizations and nongovernmental organizations with Ansarallah, which was designated as a foreign terrorist organization earlier this month (see 2101110015). General License No. 12 authorizes certain exports and reexports of agricultural products, medicine, medical devices, replacement parts and components and other humanitarian goods involving Ansarallah.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned three people, 14 entities and six vessels for their involvement in a sanctions evasion network in Venezuela’s oil sector, OFAC said Jan. 19. The designations include Malta-based Elemento and Switzerland-based Swissoil, both of which are involved in buying, shipping and selling Venezuelan oil. OFAC also sanctioned Francisco Javier D’Agostino Casado, Alessandro Bazzoni and Philipp Paul Vartan Apikian for helping to coordinate the oil purchases. The agency also sanctioned a range of entities controlled by Bazzoni, D’Agostino and Elemento and ships that transported the oil.
The European Union sanctioned Syrian Foreign Affairs Minister Faisal Mekdad for his involvement in the country's “violent repression against the civilian population,” a Jan. 15 notice said. The designation includes an asset freeze and other trade restrictions, the European Council said.
The State Department sanctioned a group and two people involved in terrorism and maintained the terrorist designation of another group, it said Jan. 14. The agency designated Harakat Sawa’d Misr (HASM) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and Yahya al-Sayyid Ibrahim Musa and Alaa Ali Ali Mohammed al-Samahi as Specially Designated Global Terrorists. The State Department also maintained the FTO designation of Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). The designations block the U.S. property of the groups and people and “generally” prohibit transactions with them.
The State Department sanctioned a range of entities and people engaged in illegal business with Iran, it said Jan. 15. The designations target companies doing business with Iranian shipping entities and Iranian entities for arms proliferation.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned the Cuban Ministry of Interior and Minister of Interior Lazaro Alberto Alvarez Casas for human rights violations, OFAC said Jan. 15. OFAC said the ministry is responsible for Cuba’s internal security and for arresting “persons of interest” to the ministry, including Cuban dissidents and activists, and employing torture tactics.