On April 24, 2017, the United States sanctioned 271 employees of Syria’s Scientific Studies and Research Center (SSRC) in response to the Assad government’s April 4 sarin gas attack in Khan Sheikoun. The designations aim to further punish SSRC itself, rather than the contribution of any single individual. As such, the action highlights SSRC's central role in Syria's non-conventional weapon programs.
Export Controls & Sanctions
The Wisconsin Project conducts research and advocacy to support robust controls on strategic goods and enforcement of autonomous and international sanctions. Export controls and sanctions are powerful means of inhibiting the spread of technologies used to make weapons of mass destruction. Listed below is a selection of the Wisconsin Project’s work in these areas, including analysis of export control enforcement cases, Iran sanctions violations, and commentary on U.S. export control policy.
Lesson Learned or Business as Usual?
Record U.S. penalties imposed on ZTE may not be enough to deter the Chinese telecom giant and others from violating Iran sanctions.
United Arab Emirates Transshipment Chronology: 1971 – 2017
The United Arab Emirates has long served as a hub for international trade. It has the Persian Gulf’s largest seaport and airport and is the largest export market for the…
Two Los Angeles-Area Men Arrested in Conspiracy to Export Defense Items to Iran
Two men based in the Los Angeles area were arrested on October 26, 2016 on federal charges related to a conspiracy to export military aircraft parts and other defense items to…
Iranian Arms Shipments to Yemen Violate U.N. Resolutions
The United States and its allies have interdicted five separate weapons shipments from Iran to the Houthis in Yemen since April 2015—shipments that violate U. N. Security Council resolutions. According…
Turkey Transshipment Chronology – 2000-2016
Turkey has emerged as a destination of concern for transshipment to countries involved in proliferation.
Another Iranian Bank Receives Early Sanctions Relief
Another Iranian bank has received sanctions relief earlier than anticipated under the nuclear deal with Iran. The European Union’s sanctions on state-owned Bank Saderat Iran and its London-based subsidiary, BankSaderat…
U.S. Surrenders Powerful Financial Weapon to Counter Iran’s Missile Program
Last week, the Wall Street Journal reported that the Obama administration secretly agreed to lift United Nations sanctions on two of Iran’s missile financing institutions as part of a package…
Quietly, U.N. Signals Violation by Iran of New Resolution
According to a July 2016 report by the U.N. Secretary General, Iranian firms participated in a defense trade show in Iraq last March, in potential violation of U. N. Security…
Canadian-Iranian Businessman Pleads Guilty in Conspiracy to Ship U.S. Electronics to Iran
Ali Reza Parsa, a businessman with dual Iranian and Canadian citizenship, pleaded guilty in federal court in January 2016 to conspiring to ship U.S.-origin electronic components from the United States to…