U.S. Settlement with Bank on Sanctions Violations

On August 27, the U.S. Treasury announced that it had reached a settlement agreement with Romanian bank First Bank SA and its American parent company, JC Flowers & Co., for apparent violation of Iran and Syria sanctions. The bank and company agreed to pay $862,318 for processing 98 commercial transactions totaling $3.6 million through U.S. banks on behalf of parties in Iran and Syria. Out of the 98 transactions, 62 were linked to Iran, totaling $2.53 million. 

U.S. Report on Religious Minorities in Iran

In the first half of 2021, Iran persecuted religious minorities including Baha’is and Christians as well as Sunni and Sufi Muslims, according to a new report by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. “Iranian authorities have arrested scores of religious minorities, who face lengthy prison sentences, while harassing others or denying them advancement in higher education.” Iran’s population is predominantly Shiite Muslim, and Shiism is the official religion of the state.

Controversy on Raisi Visa for U.N. Summit

After President Ebrahim Raisi’s inauguration on August 5, the Biden administration faced the awkward issue of whether to grant a visa to a man sanctioned by the U.S. government and who played a role in the massacre of some 5,000 political prisoners. Raisi, like previous Iranian presidents, may seek to attend the opening of the U.N. General Assembly in New York City in September.

U.S. on Iran Protests

On July 28, the State Department condemned Iran’s crackdown on peaceful protests sparked by a water shortage. “We support the rights of Iranians to peacefully assemble and express themselves, without fear of violence and detention by security forces,” Spokesperson Ned Price said. As of July, more than 300 cities—nearly a fourth of all municipalities—faced water shortages caused by a severe drought. Protests erupted in southwestern Khuzestan province in mid-July and then spread to several other provinces. Price’s statement is below, followed by timeline of the demonstrations.