Iran Update - June 22

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dan_s
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Joined: Fri Apr 23, 2010 8:22 am

Iran Update - June 22

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WASHINGTON — On Thursday evening, U.S. Cyber Command launched a retaliatory digital strike against an Iranian spy group that supported last week’s limpet mine attacks on commercial ships, according to two former intelligence officials.

The group, which has ties to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, has over the past several years digitally tracked and targeted military and civilian ships passing through the economically important Strait of Hormuz, through which pass 17.4 million barrels of oil per day. Those capabilities, which have advanced over time, enabled attacks on vessels in the region for several years.

Read more: https://www.yahoo.com/news/pentagon-sec ... 20824.html

Trump said U.S. sanctions on Iran have turned the country into an "economic mess" and he tweeted later Saturday about new penalties to be imposed on Monday, without providing details. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Friday that Iran's financial sector would be penalized soon if it doesn't work to stop evading international guidelines designed to combat money laundering.

Since shelving the strike, Trump has appeared to be more focused on continuing to squeeze Iran financially through sanctions. He said Iran would never be a wealthy nation again as long as its leadership remained intent on having nuclear weapons.

"The fact is we're not going to have Iran have a nuclear weapon," the president said on the White House driveway. "And when they agree to that, they are going to have a wealthy country, they're going to be so happy and I'm going to be their best friend."

Read more: https://www.yahoo.com/news/iran-summons ... 05289.html
Dan Steffens
Energy Prospectus Group
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