President Obama signed an executive order approving greater sanctions on Iran's currency, the rial, and, for the first time, its automotive industry. 

According to a classified Defense Intelligence Agency report, Iran is expanding its security agreements with countries in Latin America and Africa and its use of surrogates, including Lebanese Hezbollah, Iraqi Shia groups, and the Taliban.  The report says that "with sufficient foreign assistance" Iran could flight test an intercontinental ballistic missile by 2015 but concludes that Iran's military doctrine is "defensive."  The report also reiterates a 2007 U.S. intelligence community finding that Iran is developing the "technological capabilities" to build nuclear weapons, but has not made a decision to build such weapons.

The U.S. Treasury Department blacklisted Iranian businessman Babak Zanjani, Malaysia's First Islamic Bank, and a network of companies for money laundering and attempting to evade international sanctions on Iran's oil industry. Zanjani is based in the United Arab Emirates and is chairman of the Sorinet Group. The Treasury Department said Zanjani, his companies, and First Islamic Bank moved billions of dollars on behalf of the Iranian government, including the National Iranian Oil Company and an engineering unit of the Revolutionary Guards. Also blacklisted was Swiss-based Nafitran Intertrade Company, which the Treasury Department said was owned or controlled by the National Iranian Oil Company.

An April round of negotiations in Almaty, Kazakhstan, over Iran's nuclear program ended in failure. "It became clear that our positions remain far apart," said chief negotiator Catherine Ashton, the European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. In the meetings, the P5+1 negotiating partners sought reductions of Iran's stock of 20 percent enriched uranium and suspension of some enrichment activities. No new talks were scheduled.