Illicit Finance

Sakhalin, Russia - February 14, 2009: Workers connect a new branch of the oil pipeline. Photo: Grigory Ivannikov

The Trump administration has allowed a temporary sanctions waiver on Russian oil to expire, ending a short-lived reprieve that had permitted the sale of some blacklisted Russian crude and pulling back from a policy that was intended to help contain surging global oil prices.

Portrait of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini against Mao Zedong. Iranian rial and Chinese yuan. Business concept of the exchange rate, stock exchange, trading

Iran has built a more complex trade system under years of Western sanctions, relying increasingly on China, barter arrangements, and covert financing channels that help it keep goods moving even as formal restrictions target its oil exports, banking access, and foreign trade.

A pixelated image of a man's head in profile against a white background

Dutch police have arrested eight men on suspicion of identity fraud, forgery, and cybercrime in a nationwide operation targeting users of VerifTools, a fake-ID platform that investigators say generated forged documents for criminals around the world.