The United States has imposed sanctions on entities in Iran, Hong Kong, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates that the U.S. Treasury Department says comprise a network for the procurement of parts for Iran’s drone program. The network has facilitated shipments and financial transactions in support of a critical component used in Iran’s Shahed drones,...
UAE Considers Export Controls That May Hurt Russia’s War Machine
The United Arab Emirates is considering introducing export licenses for a list of items including chips and other components that are sanctioned by the US and European Union and used by Russia’s military in Ukraine, according to people familiar with the matter. Read more: bloomberg.com Photo: bloomberg.com
The Dangerous Loophole in Western Sanctions on Russia
The Dangerous Loophole in Western Sanctions on Russia. Putin’s weaponry runs on advanced electronic components obtained from a hidden international market. Through a rare, hydra-headed blend of government sanctions and the historic stampede of 1,100 multinational firms out of the country, the economic blockade of Russia has proved highly effective. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war campaign struggles onward,...
Will Vladimir Putin be Arrested if Attending COP28? Let’s Find Out Why Not
As the annual COP climate summit approaches in Dubai next month, one prominent figure conspicuously absent from past conferences may decide to attend COP28 – Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, there are good reasons why the ICC suspect feels comfortable enough to potentially skirt international justice and visit the UAE. Some context – in March,...
Russia’s geopolitical balancing act between Iran and the UAE
Russia’s geopolitical balancing act between Iran and the UAE. Kremlin has to keep up excellent ties with its two main allies in order to carry on with its assault against Ukraine: Iran for drone delivery and the United Arab Emirates for evading sanctions. The three islands of Abu Musa, Greater Tunb, and Lesser Tunb are...
Ukraine adds Emirates President Tim Clark to International Sponsors of War list
The Ukrainian National Agency on Corruption Prevention (Національне агентство з питань запобігання корупції, NACP) had added Emirates president Tim Clark to its International War Sponsors (ISW) list. According to the NACP, Clark was added to the list due to his affiliation with Dubai Port Word (DP World). The United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based company specializes in...
The UAE Is Not Our Friend
Let me say this from the outset, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is no friend of mine. It was there that I was arrested in 2018 on baseless allegations that I was spying for my country, the UK, and there that I was tortured and sentenced to life imprisonment (an experience suffered by innumerable other foreigners and Emiratis...
Treasury Targets Actors Involved in Production and Transfer of Iranian Unmanned Aerial Vehicles to Russia for Use in Ukraine
WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is sanctioning firms involved in the production or ongoing transfer to Russia of Iranian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which Russia has used in devastating attacks against civilian infrastructure in Ukraine. OFAC is designating Shahed Aviation Industries Research Center, the firm responsible...
Dubai-based Irish businessman placed on US sanctions list over alleged links to Russian cash
A Dubai-based Irish businessman has been placed on the US Treasury’s sanctions list as part of move to stop the flow of Russian money abroad. John Hanafin and his Huriya Private firm have been listed along several other individuals and companies used to help Russia evade sanctions. According to a Treasury statement yesterday “Hanafin facilitated...
Is the Blossoming Relationship Between Russia and the UAE Doomed?
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the ensuing raft of Western sanctions have prompted an explosion of interest in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) among Russians. Bilateral trade is breaking all previous records, and Russians are buying up real estate and opening businesses there. Yet for all the hope that the UAE could become an alternative...