Sanctions against Iran

The United States has imposed new sanctions on Iran today, Reuters quoted as referring to the US Treasury Department's website.

The subject of the new sanctions are two individuals and six international companies, including four companies that work with the National Iranian Oil Company.

The United States treated 11 of its troops for symptoms of concussion after an Iranian missile attack on an Iraqi base where U.S. forces were stationed, the U.S. military said on Jan. 16, after initially saying no service members were hurt.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani dismissed on Jan. 15 a proposal for a new "Trump deal" aimed at resolving a nuclear row, saying it was a "strange" offer and criticizing U.S. President Donald Trump for always breaking promises.

Iran, Russia and China began joint military exercise in the Arabian Sea and north of the Indian Ocean, according to an Iranian news agency on Dec. 27.

Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that the military exercise by the navies of Iran, Russia, and China will cover an area of 17,000 kilometers and it will last four days.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan was quoted as saying on Friday that Ankara would retaliate against potential US sanctions over its purchase of Russian defense systems and a natural gas pipeline.

In response to Turkey's repeated violations of Cyprus' exclusive economic zones (EEZ), European Union foreign ministers adopted a mechanism on Monday which would make it possible "to sanction individuals or entities responsible for, or involved in, unauthorized drilling activities of hydrocarbons." 

"In the spirit of our bilateral cooperation, Tomas Zarzecki, Director of Task Force 231 of the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, is making a short, pre-planned visit to Serbia", the US diplomatic mission in Belgrade said.

According to the newspaper's source, this task force is in charge of applying sanctions to the Russian security sector and those who cooperate with it.
Zarzecki's visit, the newspaper said, was scheduled immediately after it was announced in Serbia that we had purchased the Russian air defense system "Pantsir".

Turkey's state-owned Halkbank has denied any wrongdoing after U.S. prosecutors charged the lender with partaking in a scheme to evade U.S sanctions on Iran.

The United States offered to remove all sanctions on Iran in exchange for talks, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Sept. 27 upon returning to Tehran from the United Nations General Assembly in New York, according to his official website.