The U.S. Department of the Treasury expanded sanctions on Iran's petroleum and petrochemical sectors in response to Iran's October 1 attack on Israel. According to the new determination, Treasury may now sanction any person or entity operating in either sector.
News Briefs
October 11, 2024
-- U.S. Department of the Treasury
October 8, 2024
According to evidence compiled by the National Council for Resistance in Iran (NCRI), Iran has recently expanded the Shahid Soltani Garrison, a secretive military base northeast of Tehran. Satellite images from July 2024 show increased activity at the site, and NCRI alleges that it is involved in storing and preparing ballistic missiles before they are shipped overseas.
-- Telegraph
October 1, 2024
Iran launched approximately 180 ballistic missiles at Israel in retaliation for the assassinations of Hezbollah leader Hasan Nasrallah in Beirut and Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. The attack targeted the Nevatim and Tel Nof airbases as well as the Mossad headquarters in Tel Aviv. Israel's defense systems, including the Arrow 2 and Arrow 3, engaged the incoming missiles, aided by U.S. naval forces in the Mediterranean.
-- Washington Post
September 24, 2024
Iran has reportedly brokered secret talks between Russia and Yemen’s Houthi rebels over the potential transfer of advanced Russian anti-ship missiles to the rebel group. The system in question, called Yakhont (also known as P-800 Oniks), is a supersonic cruise missile that would enhance the Houthis' ability to strike ships in the Red Sea and pose a significant threat to U.S. and European warships in the region.
-- Reuters
September 22, 2024
Iran unveiled a new ballistic missile called Jihad during a military parade marking Sacred Defense week. Developed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force, Jihad is an optimized version of the Qiam liquid-fueled ballistic missile with a range of 1,000 kilometers and a guided warhead. Iran also displayed a launch vehicle that can carry two missiles rather than one.
-- Iran International
September 18, 2024
The Houthis fired a ballistic missile that traveled some 2,000 kilometers toward Israel before being partially intercepted by Israeli air defenses. A day later, the group released footage of the solid-fuel missile used in the attack, dubbed Palestine 2, which resembled the Iranian Kheibar Shekan. The group claimed the missile had hypersonic maneuvering capabilities, but Israel's military disputed the claim.
-- Alma Research and Education Center
September 14, 2024
Iran launched the Chamran-1 satellite into a 550-kilometer orbit using its Ghaem-100 rocket, the second successful launch of the rocket in 2024. The three-stage, solid-fuel rocket was built by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and launched from a mobile launcher near the city of Shahroud. The satellite, whose purpose was to test orbital maneuvering technologies, was built by the Aerospace Research Institute.
-- Associated Press
September 10, 2024
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Russia had received Fath-360 close-range ballistic missiles from Iran. In response to the transfer, the United States imposed further restrictions on Iran Air and announced sanctions targeting 10 individuals and nine entities, including Russian-flagged vessels allegedly involved in delivering weapons from Iran to Russia. France, Germany, and the United Kingdom also pledged sanctions on Iran Air. Iran denied supplying the missiles to Russia.
-- Reuters
September 8, 2024
Iraqi banks used a U.S. Federal Reserve-managed system designed after the invasion of Iraq in 2003 to covertly transfer billions to Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and affiliated militias, according to a journalistic report. The special arrangement allowed Iraqi banks to use funds held at the U.S. Federal Reserve for international trade without disclosing who would receive the funds for each transaction. As a result, U.S. officials estimate that up to 80% of the $250 million in daily wire transfers through Iraqi banks were untraceable. A subsequent investigation by the Federal Reserve revealed that more than 24 Iraqi banks, including three operated by prominent financier Ali Ghulam (Iraqi Middle East Investment Bank, Al Ansari Islamic Bank, and Al Qabidh Islamic Bank), were involved in suspicious transfers. All of the banks have been banned from conducting transactions in dollars.
-- Wall Street Journal
August 29, 2024
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported that Iran has continued to expand its uranium enrichment activities, adding eight more IR-6 centrifuge cascades at Fordow and increasing its stockpile of uranium enriched to 60 percent by more than 22 kg, to a total of 164.7 kg. Despite calls for greater transparency, Iran has not offered new information about uranium traces at undeclared sites.
-- Reuters