How a Tiny Zurich Bank Became a Nexus for Risky Transactions
It was a tiny Swiss bank, headquartered in an open-plan office close to Lake Zurich and little known abroad. But MBaer Merchant Bank AG would sometimes charge clients 10 times the normal rate to process payments.
Iran’s Blacklisted Supreme Leader Appears to Be Paying for Premium X Account
Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has obtained a blue check mark on his official English-language X account, despite the social-media platform’s policy barring sanctioned individuals from purchasing its premium subscription service, CNBC reported.
Trump’s Iran Sanctions Lift Could Give Tehran $14bn Windfall
President Donald Trump is facing bipartisan blowback after his administration temporarily eased sanctions on Iranian oil, a move that could allow Tehran to sell up to 140 million barrels now at sea and generate as much as $14 billion as oil prices surge during the U.S.-backed war against Iran.
Trial Begins for Ex-U.S. Lawmaker Accused of Lobbying for Venezuela
The trial of former U.S. Congressman David Rivera started Monday in Miami as the Florida Republican faces charges that he illegally lobbied American officials on behalf of Venezuelan interests without registering as a foreign agent.
U.S. Mulls Lifting Some Iran Sanctions to Mitigate Oil-Price Surge
The United States may remove sanctions in the coming days on about 140 million barrels of Iranian oil stranded aboard tankers at sea, according to The Guardian, which cited recent comments by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
U.S. Blacklists Network Accused of Diverting Over $100 Million to Hezbollah
The U.S. Treasury Department said on Friday it had imposed sanctions on an international network of 16 people and companies that allegedly diverted more than $100 million to Hezbollah since 2020.
Russia’s Shadow-Fleet Broker is Banking on Sanctions Lift and Oil Demand
A trader identified by The Wall Street Journal as a central figure in Russia’s shadow fleet has revived his oil business after the Iran war disrupted supplies from the Persian Gulf and boosted demand for Russian crude that had been stranded at sea.
Companies House Dissolves IRGC-Linked Crypto Firm that Cited Fake Owner
Companies House has removed cryptocurrency exchange Zedxion Exchange Ltd. from the UK’s register of businesses after an investigative report by OCCRP found the firm used a fictitious director and misleading incorporation filings to conceal links to sanctioned Iranian tycoon Babak Zanjani.
UK’s Top-Paid Oil Exec Faces Global Asset Freeze Over Siphoned Iran Funds
North Sea oil executive Francesco Mazzagatti could soon be the subject of a worldwide asset freeze stemming from a London lawsuit alleging he siphoned funds from former business partners tied to an Iranian petrochemicals business.
Blacklisted by OFSI, Iran Banker Lives in Spanish Villa Bought with UK Firm
An Iranian banker sanctioned by Britain for allegedly helping finance the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) owns a luxury villa in Marbella through the Spanish subsidiary of a UK company.