About: US sanctions
Awaiting IAEA report, EU admits preserving Iran nuclear deal ‘increasingly difficult’
President Hassan Rouhani said Tuesday (5 November) that Iran would resume uranium enrichment at an underground plant south of Tehran in its latest step back from a troubled 2015 agreement with major powers.
VW puts on hold plan for €1 bln car factory in Turkey over Syria incursion
Volkswagen has postponed the decision on opening a new car factory in Turkey against the background of the Turkish military offensive in Syria. "The final decision for the new plant was postponed by the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG," a company spokesman said on Tuesday (15 October), confirming media reports.
Russia-backed Syrian army sweeps in to fill US-left vacuum
Russia-backed Syrian forces took rapid advantage of an abrupt US retreat from Syria on Monday (14 October), deploying deep inside Kurdish-held territory south of the Turkish frontier less than 24 hours after Washington announced a full withdrawal.
Trump prepares to drop sanctions hammer on Turkey
President Donald Trump’s administration is set to impose economic sanctions on Ankara, potentially as early as this week, for its incursion into northern Syria, one of the few levers the United States still has over NATO-ally Turkey.
France offers a conference on Sudan’s debt if US lifts sanctions
France will host a conference with Sudan's international creditors to help Khartoum address debt issues as soon as the United States removes the country from its state-sponsored terrorism list, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday (30 September).
Cubans fear return to 90s austerity amid cuts
Havana awoke Thursday (12 September) to long lines at gas stations and public transportation stops after President Miguel Díaz-Canel warned fellow Cubans to expect fuel shortages and blackouts that he blamed on US sanctions.
Iran slams European powers as nuclear deal unravels
Iran's atomic agency chief hit out Sunday (8 September) at European powers, saying their broken promises gave the Islamic republic little choice but to scale back its commitments under a nuclear deal.
Trump ready to meet Iranian president in potential breakthrough
US President Donald Trump said Monday (26 August) at the G7 summit that he is prepared to meet his Iranian counterpart within weeks in what would amount to a stunning change of direction in the two countries' smouldering standoff.
Germany ‘very sceptical’ about US mission for Strait of Hormuz
Germany's Vice Chancellor and Finance Minister Olaf Scholz said on Wednesday (31 July) he was very sceptical about a request by the United States to join a military mission for the Strait of Hormuz.
Mogherini puts hopes in China and India to save Iran deal
The European Union will defend the Iran nuclear accord despite Tehran's decision to backtrack on its commitments in response to US sanctions, diplomats believe, but European powers expect it to collapse without a deal to sell Iranian oil to China or India.
US deploying carrier, bombers to Middle East to deter Iran
The Trump administration is deploying a carrier strike group and bombers to the Middle East in response to troubling "indications and warnings" from Iran and to show the United States will retaliate with "unrelenting force" to any attack, national security adviser John Bolton said on Sunday (5 May).
Russia cashes in as European oil refiners pay for US sanctions
European refiners are paying the price for US oil sanctions on Venezuela and Iran as they scramble to replace the sour crude Washington has blocked from the global market with increasingly expensive Russian oil, trading sources said and data showed.
US threat looms over foreign firms trading with Cuba
US President Donald Trump's administration is brandishing the threat of sanctions against foreign companies "trafficking" with Cuba, a move hitherto mothballed by Washington so as not to offend allies.
Nord Stream 2 in dire straits after French U-turn
France plans to back an EU proposal to regulate Russia's Nord Stream 2 pipeline, its foreign ministry said on Thursday (7 February), potentially threatening its completion and dealing a blow to Germany which has been trying to garner support for the project.
Europeans open new trade channel to Iran, bypassing US sanctions
Britain, France and Germany on Thursday (31 January) launched a trade mechanism to bypass US sanctions on Iran, drawing praise from Tehran – and a warning from Washington.
EU’s Iran payments vehicle ready – but stuck
A payment mechanism the EU hopes will save the Iran nuclear deal by bypassing US sanctions is ready, diplomats said Monday (28 January), but is held up by disagreements among European countries.
Azov Sea blaze illustrates that US sanctions work
Two ships ablaze in the Black Sea region, leaving at least 10 crew members dead, caught fire while transferring fuel mid-sea after one vessel was barred from using its usual port in southern Russia due to US sanctions risk, two sources told Reuters.
US discourages foreign companies from doing business in Cuba
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned foreign businesses Wednesday (16 January) to steer clear of formerly private properties seized by Cuba -- and said he was considering allowing lawsuits over such assets in US courts.
Trump threatens Turkey with economic devastation if it attacks Syrian Kurd militia
President Donald Trump threatened Turkey with economic devastation if it attacks a US-allied Kurdish militia in Syria, weakening Turkey's currency and prompting sharp criticism from Ankara on Monday (13 January).
US threatens EU companies with sanctions over Nord Steam 2, Turkish Stream
A transatlantic tiff over Europe’s natural gas supply came to the boil on Sunday (13 January), as Donald Trump’s ambassador to Germany threatened firms involved in a pipeline from Russia with sanctions. At stake is a mixture of economic and security interests...
Russia ditches dollar, opts for euro and yuan
A report by the Bank of Russia published late on Wednesday (9 January) reveals that the country dumped $101 in US holdings from its reserves, shifting into euros and yuan last spring amid a new round of US sanctions.
Spain’s premier breaks ice in Cuba after three decades
Spanish premier Pedro Sánchez has embarked on the first official bilateral visit by a Spanish leader to Cuba in 32 years on 22-23 November, at a time when the Communist-run island is looking towards Europe as its ties with the United States fester.
US belittles EU’s ‘special purpose vehicle’ as companies flee Iran
The United States is not too concerned by Europe's idea for a special purpose vehicle (SPV) to get around US sanctions with Iran as companies are already withdrawing from the country in droves, the senior official for financial intelligence said.