US designates Russian bank for helping Iran evade sanctions

The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has recently designated Russia's VTB Bank for its alleged role in aiding Iran in evading sanctions. According to Washington, VTB Bank established offices in Iran, forged banking connections with sanctioned Iranian institutions, and facilitated the movement of billions of dollars in assets.

The U.S. government has vowed to continue targeting those who provide material, technological, or financial support that enables Iran to "sustain its terrorist enterprise."

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent emphasized that the Treasury Department will not tolerate any assistance to the Iranian regime and will persist in identifying, exposing, and isolating Iran's enablers. Separately, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) countered Iran's Revolutionary Guards' claim that a Panama-flagged oil tanker was struck by a naval mine in the Strait of Hormuz.

CENTCOM maintains that the vessel, El Gaia, was actually hit by an Iranian missile last month and struck again with a drone off the coast of Oman, describing the IRGC's statement as "another example of their lies and intimidation attempts while they try to impede commercial vessels in the strait."

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian remains resolute in his stance against being coerced into submission by the ongoing attacks on public facilities delivering water, food, and medicine. In a statement on X, he challenged the U.S. military, declaring that if Americans are indeed warriors, they should confront "our valiant military forces." Pezeshkian questioned the rationale behind waging war on civilian infrastructure, food supplies, and livelihoods.