OFAC Sanctions Former Iranian President, Announces New Humanitarian Aid Mechanism
The U.S. this week sanctioned Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the former president of Iran, and updated the sanctions listing for the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security, an agency involved in wrongfully detaining U.S citizens. The Treasury Department said Ahmadinejad supervised the ministry during his time as president, and wrongfully detained former FBI special agent Robert Levinson and three U.S. hikers. The two designations came as Iran released five U.S. citizens who have been imprisoned in the country, some for years, as part of a deal with the U.S. to unfreeze nearly $6 billion in Iranian funds to be used for humanitarian relief (see 2308150072).
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The U.S. also announced the creation of a new humanitarian channel in Qatar to help facilitate humanitarian assistance to the people of Iran, including by providing them access to food, agricultural goods, medicine and medical devices “under stringent due diligence measures that guard against money laundering, misuse, and evasion of U.S. sanctions.” The Office of Foreign Assets Control published new frequently asked questions to provide guidance on the humanitarian channel, outlining how companies can participate and what types of activities are allowed.