On 29 September 2026, a range of new and expanded UK sanctions targeting Iran entered into force, following the publication on 8 September 2026 of the Iran (Sanctions) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (the “Regulations”). The Regulations amend both the Iran (Sanctions) Regulations 2023, which principally address human rights abuses and hostile activity by Iran, and the Iran (Sanctions) (Nuclear) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, which seek to restrict Iran’s ability to develop nuclear weapons and implement certain…
On 8 September 2026, the UK government designated five settlers under the existing Global Human Rights Sanctions Regulations 2020 and announced that it will introduce a new sanctions regime targeting settlements in the occupied West Bank over the next six to nine months, under the powers conferred to it by the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018. The announcement formed part of a coordinated cross-jurisdictional effort and was made alongside a joint statement by the UK and 11 other countries, including France, Canada, Denmark, Spain, Finland, Ireland, Iceland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, and Sweden. These countries committed…
On 23 July 2026, the European Council adopted its 21st package of Russia sanctions as well as additional measures targeting Belarus. The package concentrates on sectors with the greatest impact on Russia’s war economy, including energy, shipping, gold, financial services (including crypto), trade, and the Russian military-industrial complex. Key elements include a full-year suspension of the oil price cap adjustment, a new tool allowing transaction bans on named refineries that process Russian crude (listing one…
On June 23, 2026, the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) and HM Treasury’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (“OFSI”) published a joint statement reflecting on their latest Enhanced Partnership exchange and issued a new joint guidance document that provides a comparative overview of the US and UK sanctions regimes. The joint statement and guidance follow a January 2026 in-person meeting between OFSI and OFAC. The statement and accompanying guidance…