Washington imposes sanctions on Cuban and Iraqi banks accused of ties with Iranian bank

The United States imposed sanctions on Cuba's Banco Internacional de Comercio (Bisca) and an Iraqi bank for allegedly facilitating financial transactions with Iran's Karafarin Bank, which has been under US sanctions since 2020. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described Cuba as a base for hostile actors. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez condemned the move as aggressive and aimed at imposing collective punishment.

The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on Cuba's Banco Internacional de Comercio (Bisca) and an Iraqi bank, accusing them of facilitating financial transactions with Iran's Karafarin Bank, which has been under US sanctions since 2020. This step is part of Washington's efforts to increase economic pressure on Iran, as the US accuses the Cuban bank of maintaining ties with Karafarin Bank since 2022. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement: "For too long, communist Cuba has been allowed to operate as a base for hostile actors and terrorist groups, including the Islamic Republic of Iran, the world's largest state sponsor of terrorism, to target the United States." Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez responded, calling the US move "aggressive" and stating that "Bisca is a fully legitimate banking institution, and all its transactions in Cuba and around the world are also fully legitimate." He added that this "shows a criminal determination to impose maximum collective punishment on the Cuban people and close all avenues for the local economy." Since January, the administration of US President Donald Trump has classified Cuba as a "threat" to US national security. Against this backdrop, Washington has targeted Havana with intensive sanctions, imposing an oil blockade that has caused a severe economic crisis. The US also imposed sanctions on the Iraqi Development Bank on Thursday.