Senior U.S. Official Visits Southeast Asia to Garner Support for Sanctions Against Iran

A senior U.S. official is visiting Southeast Asia to consult with regional officials regarding the implementation of U.S. sanctions against Iran. Kyodo News reported on Tuesday, August 23, remarks by Marshall Billingslea, the U.S. Treasury Deputy Secretary, concerning terrorism financing, stating that Washington is urging Asian countries to be cautious about Iran's sanctions. Mr. Billingslea, who is in Singapore for a two-day stay, further stated: "What we are saying does not mean dictating to other countries what to do or not to do, but we are clearly saying that companies need to be aware of the decisions they make because if their choice is to trade with the Iranian government in prohibited areas, then they will no longer be able to trade with the United States or in the U.S. financial system." He added, "We expect broad cooperation and strong support for our actions." Billingslea had previously visited Indonesia and Malaysia and will head to the Philippines and Thailand after Singapore. He is leading a delegation of U.S. Treasury and State Department officials. Iran recently signed a friendship and cooperation treaty with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which brings Tehran closer to member countries of this union. Kyodo News writes that when Mr. Billingslea was asked about this proximity, he merely warned regional countries to exercise extreme caution in dealings with Iran. He stated that the purpose of his trip to Singapore is "to cooperate with the banks of that country and the economic sector of the region to understand how Iran operates and what to be cautious about." However, despite Singapore becoming a global oil investment hub, he emphasized that the U.S. has no specific requests from the Singaporean government regarding Iranian oil. This American official said: "We have a lot of confidence in Singapore, and the reality is that there has been no significant trade between Iran and Singapore in gas and oil this year." However, Kyodo News cites other sources stating that Washington is likely to prohibit Singapore from trading with Iran in oil or transporting Iranian oil. The second round of U.S. sanctions, which begins on November 13, targets Iranian oil, which is more significant compared to the first round of sanctions. The U.S. has resumed sanctions against Tehran following its withdrawal from the Vienna nuclear agreement, aiming to reach another agreement that would also include Iran's missile program and put an end to Tehran's support for Hezbollah in Lebanon and Houthi rebels in Yemen.