OFAC amends Iraq Stabilization and Insurgency Sanctions Regulations, sanctions additional North Koreans

Financial Crimes Department of Treasury OFAC Sanctions International

On December 27, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) released amendments to its Iraq Stabilization and Insurgency Sanctions Regulations (ISISR) to implement Executive Order 13668 (“Ending Immunities Granted to the Development Fund for Iraq and Certain Other Iraqi Property and Interests in Property Pursuant to Executive Order 13303, as Amended”). Previously, the ISISR prohibited and deemed null and void “any attachment, judgment, decree, lien, execution, garnishment, or other judicial process” related to (i) the sale and marketing of petroleum and petroleum products involving U.S. persons; and (ii) “any accounts, assets, investments, or any other property of any kind owned by, belonging to, or held by the Central Bank of Iraq, or held, maintained, or otherwise controlled by any financial institution of any kind in the name of, on behalf of, or otherwise for the Central Bank of Iraq.” OFAC’s amendments remove these prohibitions, and also implement technical and conforming changes. The amendments took effect December 28.

Separately, on December 26, OFAC announced that two North Korean individuals have been added to the Specially Designated Nationals List. Assets belonging to individuals on the list are blocked, and transactions by U.S. persons involving these individuals or that are otherwise subject to U.S. jurisdiction are also generally prohibited. See here for previous InfoBytes coverage on North Korean sanctions.