Central bank

Ruble Rumble

Offensive and Defensive Measures to Defeat Russia in the Economic Domain

Erdogan faces growing backlash over earthquake mismanagement

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan referred to the earthquakes that struck Turkey in early February as the “disaster of the century.” The earthquake certainly wreaked havoc, making an estimated...

The Evolution of Kim Jong Un’s ‘All-Purpose Sword’

Crypto-Fascists

Cryptocurrency Usage by Domestic Extremists

The New Nuclear Deal Would Allow Tehran to Access Up to $131 Billion of Its Foreign Assets

The Biden administration is finalizing a deal that would provide the Islamic Republic with relief from U.S. sanctions in exchange for temporary and limited curbs on Iran’s nuclear program. When the administration...

Iran Nuclear Talks in Vienna Won’t Result in a Better Deal

The nuclear negotiations in Vienna continue. The Iranians are setting the tone and pace while the Americans struggle to keep alive the possibility of a deal. The Israelis—for whom these talks will have...

Iran, Terrorism Finance, and Money Laundering: A Status Update Before FATF Meets Next Week

When the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) convenes its plenary next week, while not formally on the agenda, buzz on the sidelines will concern Tehran’s constant push to be removed from the FATF blacklist....

Hezbollah Finance in Lebanon

A Primary-Source Review

Why we must steer clear of the Lebanon aid trap

It’s time for Uncle Sam to draw the line

Why Erdogan Won’t Ask the IMF for Help

Turkey's economy is a mess, but its president won't seek an IMF loan because the conditions would mean giving up his extensive patronage network.

Maximum Pressure 2.0

A Plan for North Korea

Lebanon is a basket case run by a terror group: don’t fund it

After two weeks of popular protests in Lebanon against the country’s corrupt political class, Lebanese prime minister Saad Hariri has handed his resignation. While some see this development as a victory...

Iran’s attempt to force the US back to the JCPOA failed miserably

By attacking Saudi Aramco, Iran wanted to force the US to return to the JCPOA nuclear deal. It failed. The futility of Iran’s attempts to force the US to return to the nuclear deal was evident at the...

Trump’s Iran Policy Hasn’t Failed—Yet

Maximum pressure could still deliver strategic outcomes.

Crypto Rogues

U.S. State Adversaries Seeking Blockchain Sanctions Resistance

What “Yes” With Iran Looks Like

Credibility Gap: China’s FATF Presidency

For Economic Sanctions to Work, Trump Must Turn up the Heat on Iran

The Trump administration's strategy of maximum pressure on Iran took full effect on Nov. 5. It included the re-imposition of oil sanctions and designation of more than 700 Iranian entities...

Kim Jong Un’s ‘All-Purpose Sword’

North Korean Cyber-Enabled Economic Warfare

Here’s How Trump Can Bring Iran Back to the Table

Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said this month that he would nev...