- Chief Compliance Officer and VP of Legal Affairs, Arrow Electronics
By 
Adrianne Appel2022-09-09T20:39:00
Iran’s minister of intelligence, together with its Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS), were sanctioned Friday by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) for malicious cyber activities that threaten the national security of the United States and its allies.
Esmail Khatib, head of the MOIS, directs networks that use cyber espionage and ransomware attacks against other governments to further Iran’s political goals, OFAC said. The regulator specifically cited the July disruption of the Albanian government’s computer systems the United States believes to have been sponsored by the Iran government and the MOIS.
Iran and its proxies, OFAC said, have engaged in “malicious cyber operations” that have targeted other governments and private organizations worldwide since at least 2007.
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Taiwan-based DES International Co. and Brunei-based Soltech Industry Co. each agreed to pay fines of $83,769 after pleading guilty to Department of Justice charges of conspiring to violate U.S. export laws and sanctions by sending U.S.-origin goods to Iran.
Sojitz HK agreed to pay approximately $5.2 million for violations of U.S. sanctions against Iran that occurred when rogue employees deliberately misled company executives and compliance regarding the true origin of goods worth more than $75 million.
NewTek, a Texas-based company that develops 3D animation hardware and software, has agreed to pay $189,483 to settle OFAC allegations it knowingly violated U.S. sanctions against Iran.
The EU and U.K. have rushed to commit themselves to intensifying action on sanctions evasion after U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s victory, but any compliance managers who believe Trump will make global sanctions compliance easier in 2025 are likely to be disappointed.
With a new political regime ready to take over in the U.S., the effectiveness of sanctions against malign foreign actors like Russia, North Korea, and Iran have come into question. While the European Union and U.K. have increased sanctions pressure, critics have publicly asked: Is it enough?
The U.K. has issued 56 new sanctions against entities and individuals involved with Russia’s war effort, including several private mercenary groups operating in Africa that are connected to the Kremlin.
