Get The Pavlovic Today’s top stories and best reads.
The Trump administration announces new sanctions designed to cut off Basij’s access to funding. Richard Wagner reports.
A Senior Official of the Trump administration announced today a new round of sanctions, which will focus on the Basij Resistance Force. Basij is allegedly engaged in the recruitment of child soldiers in Iran, to be trained to fight in various conflicts throughout the region, including on behalf of paramilitaries that support the Assad regime in Syria. Basij is an arm of Iran’s “Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)”, which was initially established to suppress protesters in Iran.
This new round of sanctions will focus heavily on Basij’s business ties, as they finance their activity with various international corporations that operate throughout the Middle East. In particular, the sanctions are intended to deny Basij access to their bank accounts.
During the press conference, several questions were asked pertaining to Saudi Arabia and the recent disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. While Saudi Arabia is a crucial ally in efforts to contain Iran, one of the questioners pointed out that this kind of behavior is the very same kind of behavior for which Iran is being targeted for sanctions. The Senior Official’s answer echoesTrump’s current positions, that this matter will be thoroughly investigated. No further action has been offered by the Trump administration yet.
For the time being, Iran’s support of Basij is well established, and the administration is going forward with further sanctions to economically cripple the Iranian government and its affiliates.
Read Also:
Trump: “King Salman Firmly Denies Any Involvement In Kashoggi’s Death”
more from the pavlovic today
Full Text: Biden State Of the Union 2023 Speech Transcript
Mr. Speaker. Madam Vice President. Our First Lady and Second Gentleman. Members of Congress and the Cabinet. Leaders of our military. Mr. Chief Justice, Associate Justices, and retired Justices of the Supreme Court. And you, my fellow Americans. I start tonight by congratulating the members of the 118th Congress and the new Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy. Mr. Speaker,…
Keep reading
WATCH LIVE: Biden Delivers 2023 State Of The Union Address
On Tuesday, 9 pm EST, President Biden will deliver 2023 State of the Union address. The story of America is a story of progress and resilience…We are the only country that has emerged from every crisis stronger than when we entered it. That is what we are doing again. Two years ago our economy was…
Keep reading
2023 State Of The Union Early Excerpts: My Republican Friends
The Pavlovic Today has received excerpts from President Biden’s Tuesday evening State of the Union address. The Biden team made excerpts available more than two hours before the speech. Read them below: Excerpts from President Biden’s State of the Union Address as Prepared for Delivery The story of America is a story of progress and…
Keep reading
Don’t Expect Pelosi-Style Drama At Biden’s State Of The Union Address Tonight
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has urged Biden to avoid the “extreme MAGA Republicans” phrase in his State of the Union address tonight. “I don’t think that’s appropriate comment that the President should make,” noted McCarthy. “I’ve expressed that to him in private and we’ve had discussions about that as well,” he revealed his conversation with…
Keep reading
From Bono To Pelosi, Here’s Who’s Invited To Biden’s Box At SOTU Tonight
Every State of the Union Address, some lucky guests are invited to the President’s box to hear POTUS deliver his annual message to the American public and Congress. In tonight’s speech, Biden is expected to highlight the Unity Agenda and some of the achievements of the Biden-Harris administration. First Lady Jill Biden’s splashy guest list…
Keep reading
Whitehall Shake-Up: What we know about Rishi Sunak’s Cabinet reshuffle
In Whitehall on Tuesday, government departments are being rewired and rebadged. Four new departments have been created out of three old ones. The shape of Rishi Sunak’s reshuffled government is starting to emerge. Greg Hands was named the new Conservative Party Chairman after Nadhim Zahawi was fired last month over tax affair. His main task will…
Keep reading