Sanctions

The UK government has updated its guidance on sanctions restricting the provision of professional and business services to Russia, clarifying the scope of consultancy and public relations activities and publishing detailed guidance on construction services. The changes, issued on 27 October 2026, provide businesses with further direction on identifying prohibited services, assessing indirect recipients and determining when an exception or licence may apply. The updated materi

A7, a Russian payment company backed by the Russian state, processed at least 283 metric tonnes of cash rubles worth more than US$14 billion between November 2024 and July 2025, according to an investigation by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) and Russian independent media outlet Proekt. The findings raise concerns about how large volumes of cash with unverified origins can enter international payment channels and move across borders without cl

The European Commission has issued statements addressing United States sanctions measures adopted in October 2026, expressing concern over their implications for international pressure on Russia and the continued operation of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The statements concern a US executive order waiving sanctions and tariffs required under the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, and US sanctions against the ICC under Executive Order 14203.

The United Kingdom has broadened its global human rights sanctions framework to cover serious violations of international humanitarian law, unlawful restrictions on personal liberty and the obstruction of humanitarian assistance, giving the government wider powers to hold individuals and organisations accountable for abuses around the world. The new Global Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law Sanctions Regulations 2026 came into force on October 15, replacing the

British authorities have frozen a London townhouse purchased for £53 million after official property records identified a connection between the property's registered owner and a person subject to UK financial sanctions. The property, located in Belgravia, was purchased in October 2023 by Zhao Chen, who is not herself designated under UK sanctions. The restriction was placed on the property in August 2026. Land Registry documents show that Zhao Chen acquired the property for

The United States has imposed sanctions on Iranian cryptocurrency exchange BitBank, its software developer and three individuals linked to Iranian financier Babak Zanjani, alleging that the network facilitated the movement of hundreds of millions of dollars in Bitcoin to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The designations were announced by the US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on 17 September 2026 under Executive Order 13902, w

The United States has imposed sanctions on a Turkish investment bank and two of its subsidiaries, accusing the institutions of helping Iran maintain access to international financial channels and facilitating transactions connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force (IRGC-QF). The action, announced on September 4, represents a significant escalation in Washington’s campaign to restrict Iran’s access to the global financial system. The measures target Istanbu

Citibank's London branch has been fined £4.73 million by the UK's Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) after a regulatory investigation identified widespread failures that allowed hundreds of transactions involving sanctioned Russian entities and individuals to pass through the bank. The penalty relates to 970 payments with a combined value of approximately £19.7 million. Most of the breaches occurred between February and November 2022, following the introducti