Sheraton Building, Damascus, Syria;
Dummar Project, al-Jazirah 7, real estate property 18/234, Western Dummar, Damascus, Syria;
Dummar Project, al Jazirah 11, building 23 section number 1 of real estate property 2259, Damascus, Syria;
Dummar Project, al-Jazirah 7, building 2340/33 and 4, Western Dummar, Damascus, Syria;
Dummar Project, al-Jazirah 11, building 23, section 2 and 3, building 2259, Damascus, Syria
Official reason
The Lebanese Hizballah-controlled Talaqi Group used the FENGSHUN and VICTORIA to ship LPG worth tens of millions of dollars from Iran to the PRC. In early July 2024, the FENGSHUN conducted an STS transfer with the VICTORIA in Singapore, which ultimately delivered the cargo to the PRC. The U.S. Department of State designated Hizballah as an SDGT pursuant to E.O. 13224 on October 31, 2001. The U.S. Department of the Treasury designated the Talaqi Group pursuant to E.O. 13224 on September 4, 2019 for being owned or controlled by Lebanese Hizballah official Muhammad Qasim al-Bazzal. Al-Bazzal was designated pursuant to E.O. 13224 on November 20, 2018 for acting for on behalf of Lebanese Hizballah to oversee the operations of multiple front companies, such as Talaqi Group, that allow Lebanese Hizballah to move and sell Iranian petroleum products and other commodities for profit.
On June 6, 2003, OFAC issued the Global Terrorism Sanctions Regulations, 31 CFR part 594 (68 FR 34196, June 6, 2003 (“the Regulations”), to implement Executive Order (E.O.) 13224 of September 23, 2001, “Blocking Property and Prohibiting Transactions With Persons Who Commit, Threaten To Commit, or Support Terrorism” (66 FR 49079, September 25, 2001). OFAC has amended the Regulations on several occasions.
On September 9, 2019, the President, invoking the authority of, inter alia, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701–1706) (IEEPA) and the United Nations Participation Act (22 U.S.C. 287c) (UNPA), issued E.O. 13886, “Modernizing Sanctions To Combat Terrorism” (84 FR 48041, September 12, 2019), effective September 10, 2019. In E.O. 13886, the President, finding it necessary to consolidate and enhance sanctions to combat acts of terrorism and threats of terrorism by foreign terrorists, terminated the national emergency declared in E.O. 12947 of January 23, 1995, “Prohibiting Transactions With Terrorists Who Threaten To Disrupt the Middle East Peace Process” (60 FR 5079, January 25, 1995), and revoked E.O. 12947, as amended by E.O. 13099 of August 20, 1998, “Prohibiting Transactions With Terrorists Who Threaten To Disrupt the Middle East Peace Process” (63 FR 45167, August 25, 1998). In addition, the President amended E.O. 13224, in order to build upon initial steps taken in E.O. 12947, to further strengthen and consolidate sanctions to combat the continuing threat posed by international terrorism, and in order to take additional steps to deal with the national emergency declared in E.O. 13224, with respect to the continuing and immediate threat of grave acts of terrorism and threats of terrorism committed by foreign terrorists, which include acts of terrorism that threaten the Middle East peace process.
Section 1 of E.O. 13886 replaces in its entirety section 1 of E.O. 13224, which had been amended by a number of prior Executive orders (E.O. 13224, as amended by all such authorities, is referred to herein as “amended E.O. 13224”), but does not amend the Annex to E.O. 13224, which was previously amended by E.O. 13268 of July 2, 2002, “Termination of Emergency With Respect to the Taliban and Amendment of Executive Order 13224 of September 23, 2001” (67 FR 44751, July 3, 2002) (“amended Annex to E.O. 13224”).
