The US Treasury Department has authorized the sale of diluents to Venezuela, which is key to its oil sector. This decision allows American companies to process payments and contributes to the restoration of Venezuela's oil industry.
Iran is restoring nuclear facilities in Isfahan and Natanz damaged by US bombing. Aerial photographs from Planet Labs PBC show the restoration of building roofs, which may indicate attempts to salvage intact nuclear materials.
The US has imposed extensive sanctions on Iranian officials for shooting protesters and for mass repression in the country.
Most of the US government shut down on January 31 due to a shutdown. The funding hiatus is expected to be short-lived.
U. S. President Donald Trump and Senate Democrats have reached an agreement to avoid a prolonged shutdown of much of the federal government. The deal provides funding for the entire government, except for the Department of Homeland Security, until September.
Acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez has signed a law allowing the privatization of the oil sector, overturning a socialist principle. This paves the way for foreign investment and the revitalization of the industry.
Donald Trump has filed a $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Department over the leak of his tax returns in 2019-2020. The former president accuses the agencies of failing to protect confidential data and of politically motivated persecution.
US President Donald Trump has declared a national emergency over the threat from Cuba, introducing a new tariff system. This will allow the US to impose tariffs on goods from countries that supply oil to Cuba.
The Trump administration held secret meetings with far-right separatists from Alberta who seek independence. They requested a $500 billion line of credit in case of an independence referendum.
The Democratic minority in the US Senate blocked a government funding package, demanding restrictions on Trump's immigration agents. This occurred two days before the deadline, threatening a shutdown of key government agencies.
Oil prices rose 3% after Trump's statement about sending a fleet to Iran and new US sanctions. This heightened concerns about fuel supplies and supply shortages.
The US Treasury Department has increased pressure on Iran's shadow fleet, imposing sanctions on nine vessels and their owning companies. This comes in response to the Iranian regime's crackdown and financing of terrorism.
Chinese officials are reviewing Meta's $2 billion acquisition of AI platform Manus over potential export control violations. This could give Beijing leverage over the deal, which is a rare instance of an American company acquiring a Chinese AI startup.
US President Donald Trump has stated his readiness to send troops to Venezuela if interim president Delcy Rodriguez stops cooperating with the US. He also noted that Rodriguez cooperated after a US military strike on the Venezuelan capital, which led to the capture of the country's leader, Nicolas Maduro.
Following the ouster of Nicolás Maduro in early 2026, international creditors have intensified their struggle to recover Venezuela's $150-170 billion foreign debt. The main players are China, Russia, bondholders, and energy giants, while restructuring is complicated by US sanctions and a lack of cooperation with the IMF.
The Serbian oil refinery NIS, owned by Russia and under US sanctions, will start operating on January 17 or 18. This became possible after receiving a temporary license from the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the US Treasury Department.
This refers to advanced weapon systems, including ballistic missiles and drones, for cryptocurrency. This would allow Tehran to circumvent Western financial restrictions.
Western sanctions have reshaped India's oil trade, reducing its reliance on Russian oil. Imports from Russia decreased by 17.8% in January-October 2025, while imports from the US increased by 83.3% and from the UAE by 8.7%.
On December 19, the United States imposed sanctions on seven individuals linked to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. The restrictions target relatives of Carlos Erik Malpica Flores, who is accused of corruption in the oil company.
The US Treasury Department has imposed new sanctions on Iran's 'shadow fleet,' used to export oil in circumvention of American restrictions. The sanctions affected 29 ships and the companies that operate them, which transported hundreds of millions of dollars worth of Iranian oil products.
The United States of America has removed several companies from the sanctions list that previously supplied sanctioned equipment to Russia, including for its military-industrial complex. Among them are Cypriot Veles International Limited, Finnish Hi-Tech Koneisto, as well as Dubai and Turkish companies.
The U. S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) has fully launched the U.S.-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund, which will begin reviewing projects in 2026. The fund will focus on critical minerals, energy, transportation, logistics, and technology, attracting private capital.
The US presidential administration has temporarily suspended sanctions against several Russian banks involved in settlements in the civilian nuclear energy sector. Financial transactions are permitted until June 18, 2026, for projects initiated before November 21, 2024.
The US has partially lifted sanctions on three Belarusian legal entities linked to the potash sector. This happened after the Belarusian authorities released a number of political prisoners, including Nobel laureate Ales Bialiatski.
The US has extended the waiver of sanctions against Lukoil until January 17, allowing certain operations. This is due to intensified negotiations on the sale of the Russian company's foreign assets.
Senators Jeff Merkley and Catherine Cortez Masto have introduced a bill that prohibits the U. S. Treasury Department from minting one-dollar coins featuring a living or incumbent president. This addresses the Treasury Department's plans to issue commemorative coins featuring Donald Trump for the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.
NielsenIQ's Russian subsidiary is actively recruiting staff for high-risk markets, including occupied Ukrainian territories and Iran, as revealed by job postings on HH. ru. The company's internal research previously labeled occupied Ukrainian lands as "new Russian regions."
Envoys of US President Donald Trump met with Ukrainian negotiators for the third time in two weeks to discuss a peace plan, while the Trump administration eased economic pressure on Russia. The US Treasury Department partially suspended sanctions against Lukoil gas stations outside Russia until April 29.
Sanctions reportedly forced Lukoil to announce the sale of its foreign assets, and several buyers have approached US authorities for permission to negotiate with Lukoil, including oil giants Exxon Mobil and Chevron.
Thanks to sanctions, Russian oil exports have already decreased by 15-20%, and crude oil production in the Russian Federation will decrease by 5% by the end of the year. The 20th package of EU sanctions is being discussed, which includes restrictions on the financial sector and the infrastructure of the shadow fleet.
