The United States on Monday accused Russia's VTB Bank of helping Iran evade sanctions, targeting an institution that had previously been subject to an embargo due to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
In a symbolic move, the US Treasury Department said it had imposed additional sanctions on VTB Bank due to practices “including establishing correspondent relationships with sanctioned Iranian banks.” The Ministry warned foreign financial institutions of the consequences of dealing with VTB, and urged them to sever ties with the bank immediately.
Washington is seeking to intensify economic pressure on Tehran as the war in the Middle East enters its seventh month. Tehran responded to strikes launched by the United States and Israel against it at the end of February, with attacks across the region and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which led to a sharp rise in oil prices.
As a result, gasoline prices rose in the United States, increasing the financial burden on Americans weeks before the midterm elections.
Washington has imposed sanctions on other institutions, including the Turkish bank Golden Global, since US Treasury Secretary Scott Besent warned that Washington would launch “the largest economic attack ever” against Iran, likening it to the day of the Allied landings in Normandy, known in English as “Day Day,” which was a turning point in resolving World War II.
VTB has been subject to US sanctions since 2022, when the Treasury Department imposed “full ban sanctions” on the bank, which means freezing its assets in the United States and making them beyond the reach of the Kremlin.
At the time, the department said that VTB was “one of the largest financial institutions that the Treasury Department has ever blocked.”
US President Donald Trump confirmed on Monday his “openness” to dealing with Iran with the aim of putting an end to the war launched by the United States and Israel in February against Iran. The US President wrote on his “Truth Social” platform: “The failed Iranian nation wants to reach an agreement quickly and urgently. “I will decide whether the United States chooses to engage in that or not, which is something we are open to.” Trump also said that Iran wants to reach an agreement.
On Sunday, the US President stressed that he would not accept a settlement with Tehran, which he described as “inappropriate,” reiterating his assertion that Tehran would not obtain a nuclear weapon. He explained, during a visit to Ireland, that Iran is “constantly communicating” in an effort to hold talks, adding: “They must reach an appropriate agreement.” “I will not conclude an inappropriate agreement.”
Trump raised the possibility of continued US involvement in Iran, linking this to the possibility of keeping oil, likening this option to the US arrangements related to Venezuela. He said: “We will eventually leave Iran, unless we decide to stay and keep the oil like Venezuela,” adding that American revenues from Venezuela “have paid the price of war many times.”
Pakistani diplomatic efforts
Meanwhile, Pakistan is strengthening its efforts to help end the conflict in the Middle East; The Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations, Asim Iftikhar Ahmed, said that Islamabad seeks to reach a peaceful solution through dialogue and international mechanisms supported by the United Nations. Ahmed explained in an interview with the Pakistani Geo News channel, published on Monday, that his country is working to achieve a ceasefire, reduce tensions, and return the parties to the negotiating table, while the regional situation continues to deteriorate.
He said, “Our effort is focused on finding a peaceful and international solution to the conflict, in accordance with the laws of the United Nations,” stressing that the urgent priority is to stop the fighting and reduce tension. The Pakistani delegate to the United Nations stated that the UN Security Council Charter stipulates that disputes be settled through negotiations, not through war. He added, "The Security Council Charter aims to resolve conflicts through negotiations, not through war." The Pakistani diplomat acknowledged that the situation was heading towards a negative path, but said that “Pakistan is fully aware of the necessity of doing its part to prevent further escalation.” Ahmed stressed: “We acknowledge that the situation is heading towards a negative path. We realize this and believe in the need to do our part.” He also referred to Pakistan's role in the Iranian-American conflict, explaining that Islamabad was among the countries that had taken the lead in diplomatic efforts during that confrontation. Ahmed said, “The world is awaiting what will happen in the Iranian-American conflict,” adding that Pakistan is “at the forefront” of the countries that have played a role in trying to end this conflict.
Iranian disputes
The New York Times newspaper quoted three Iranian officials as saying that investigations conducted by the Iranian government and security services concluded that the memorandum of understanding signed with Washington had failed due to differences in the Iranian leadership, and that a group of extremists worked to thwart the agreement and continue the war without the leadership’s approval or even its knowledge.
The newspaper explained that the decision to target the three commercial ships in July, after the signing of the agreement with Washington, was taken by Hussein Taeb, a cleric and influential intelligence official who opposed the peace agreement with the United States from the beginning.
The officials said that Taeb was telling the new supreme leader that Iran had made a mistake by ending the war and approving the agreement. In a recent speech to military families, Taeb said he was not opposed to the talks, but added that “negotiations that ignore the rights of our people and compromise in the face of the enemy’s excessive demands have no place in Iranian politics.”
Khamenei recently appointed Tayeb as head of the Basij forces, which is responsible for suppressing opposition and internal unrest.
Taeb had served for more than 20 years as head of the Intelligence Service of the Revolutionary Guards, before the former leader dismissed him in 2022 due to failures, including an Israeli infiltration of the ranks of the agency and thwarting a plot in Turkey.
Taeb returned to the forefront after the killing of former guide Ali Khamenei, at the beginning of the war, and played a major role in choosing his son Mojtaba as his successor, according to what officials said at the time.
