The Donald Trump administration today announced sanctions on individuals and businesses it accuses of participating in an illicit Iranian-Russian scheme to smuggle oil to Syria. The scheme allegedly provides millions of barrels of oil to Syria’s Bashar al-Assad government in defiance of US sanctions.
“Today we are acting against a complex scheme Iran and Russia have used to bolster the Assad regime and generate funds for Iranian malign activity,” Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said in a statement announcing the sanctions on nine individuals and companies.