The United States has sanctioned a procurement network for facilitating the export of restricted items to end users in Iran. According to the Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control, the sanctions target three individuals and four entities linked with the transfer of U.S. technology to the Central Bank of Iran, which the...
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Category: Geopolitical Issues
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UN Experts Probe North Korea’s Alleged $3B Cyberattacks, Sanction Violations
A panel of experts from the United Nations said they are investigating 58 suspected cyberattacks by North Korea with an estimated value of $3 billion. The cyber operations were reportedly used to advance Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons program, according to the Associated Press, citing a summary of the UN panel’s report. The UN panel, which monitors...
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South Korea, Saudi Arabia To Collaborate on Weapons Development, Production
South Korea and Saudi Arabia have agreed to advance their defense cooperation, focusing on weapons development and production. The two sides finalized a memorandum of understanding during South Korean Minister of National Defense Shin Won-sik’s visit to Riyadh for the World Defense Show. He met with Saudi Arabian Minister of Defense Khalid bin Salman Al...
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US-UK Technical Report Offers Guidance Against ‘Living Off the Land’ Attacks
U.S. and U.K. cybersecurity experts have released a technical report offering guidance on defending against cyberattacks that use “living off the land” techniques. According to the National Security Agency, hostile Chinese and Russian actors often use LOTL as an intrusion method, where legitimate tools already installed on the target system are exploited to conduct malicious...
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US Report Confirms Houthis Used Iran-Supplied Missiles, UAVs in Mideast Attacks
The Houthis used Iran-provided missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles to carry out attacks across the Middle East, according to a Defense Intelligence Agency report. Published on Tuesday, the unclassified report titled “Iran: Enabling Houthi Attacks Across the Middle East,” compared and analyzed publicly available images of Iranian missiles and UAVs with those displayed and employed...
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US Names Hezbollah, Qods Force Financiers in Lebanon, Turkey
The U.S. Department of the Treasury has blocked the assets and stateside transactions of three companies and an individual based in Lebanon and Turkey for their association with Iranian and Hezbollah-affiliated terror groups. The entities generate funds from selling Iranian commodities, including sales to the Syrian government. Their revenues provide key opportunities for “hundreds of...
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UK, Canada Sign New Agreements to Promote Joint R&D Efforts on AI
The United Kingdom and Canada have struck new agreements to jointly conduct research and development on artificial intelligence and other technologies. Michelle Donelan, U.K. technology secretary, and Francois-Phillippe Champagne, Canada’s minister for innovation, science and industry, signed a dual set of agreements in Ottawa on Wednesday. The agreement follows a larger partnership on science and...
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Germany, Poland and Netherlands Aim for Rapid Military Deployment to NATO’s Eastern Flank
Germany, the Netherlands and Poland have agreed to accelerate the deployment of troops and weapons to NATO’s eastern flank in the event of a conflict with Russia. The three NATO members signed a letter of intent for closer cooperation on Tuesday to establish a condition that supports swift military maneuver across Europe. The deal would...
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US Sanctions Egyptian, Turkish Nationals for Providing Cybersecurity Training, Funding for ISIS
The United States has sanctioned two Egyptian nationals for allegedly providing cybersecurity training to members of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria and facilitating funding efforts in support of the terrorist organization. In a press release, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control named Mu’min Al-Mawji Mahmud Salim and Sarah Jamal Muhammad...
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Iran’s Latest Simorgh Rocket Launch Deploys Three Satellites to LEO
Iran has launched three satellites atop its Simorgh rocket. The trio of satellites reached low-Earth orbit, with an altitude ranging from 280 miles to 680 miles, according to the Middle Eastern nation’s Secretariat of the Government Information Council. Keihan 2 and Hatef 1, two of the newly launched satellites, were for communications and navigation. The third...