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The Trump administration has unveiled sweeping new sanctions targeting Iran’s defence supply chain and Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement, intensifying efforts to block the flow of sensitive military technology and illicit oil revenues fueling regional instability.
The Trump administration on Friday announced a new round of sanctions targeting entities and individuals allegedly supporting Iran’s defence sector and Yemen’s Houthi movement. The measures are part of broader efforts to disrupt Tehran’s access to sensitive military technology and the Houthis' illicit financial networks.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury designated eight entities, one vessel, and one individual believed to be involved in supplying advanced machinery and components used in Iran’s ballistic missile and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) programs.
"The United States remains resolved to disrupt any effort by Iran to procure the sensitive, dual-use technology, components, and machinery that underpin the regime’s ballistic missile, unmanned aerial vehicle, and asymmetric weapons programs," said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
Among the blacklisted entities are Unico Shipping Co Ltd and Athena Shipping Co Ltd, both based in Hong Kong, allegedly involved in facilitating shipments of sensitive materials to Iran.
"Treasury will continue to degrade Iran’s ability to produce and proliferate these deadly weapons, which threaten regional stability and global security," Bessent added.
In a separate action, the Treasury also issued counterterrorism-related sanctions against Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen. The move targets four individuals, twelve entities, and two vessels, allegedly involved in smuggling oil and goods to finance the Houthi operations.
According to U.S. officials, the sanctioned network has been instrumental in importing illicit oil and other goods, providing critical financial and logistical support to the Houthis, who remain engaged in a prolonged conflict in Yemen.
These measures mark the latest in Washington’s strategy to exert economic pressure on Tehran and its regional proxies amid ongoing tensions across the Middle East.
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Japan has lifted a tsunami advisory issued after an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.9 hit the country's northeastern region on Friday (12 December), the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said. The JMA had earlier put the earthquake's preliminary magnitude at 6.7.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reiterated his offer to host Ukraine-Russia peace talks in Ankara, at his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The talks took place on the sidelines of the international Forum for Peace and Trust in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, on Friday (12 December).
The United States issued new sanctions targeting Venezuela on Thursday, imposing curbs on three nephews of President Nicolas Maduro's wife, as well as six crude oil tankers and shipping companies linked to them, as Washington ramps up pressure on Caracas.
The resignation of Bulgaria's government on Thursday (11 December) puts an end to an increasingly unpopular coalition but is likely to usher in a period of prolonged political instability on the eve of the Black Sea nation's entry into the euro zone.
Thailand’s caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Saturday that Thai forces would continue military action along the Cambodia border until Bangkok believes there is no longer a threat to Thai territory or civilians.
U.S. stock markets closed lower at the end of the week, as investors continued to rotate out of technology shares, putting pressure on major indices.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has warned that without concrete concessions from Russia, such as limiting its military forces or curbing its defence budget, new conflicts could erupt elsewhere, even if Ukraine receives security guarantees.
Multiple people were shot on Saturday at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, prompting an active shooter alert and a campus lockdown, city officials said.
The latest round of clashes between Thailand and Cambodia has left 15 Thai soldiers dead and 270 others injured, Thailand’s Ministry of Defence spokesman Surasant Kongsiri said at a press conference on Saturday.
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