In Geopolitics Today: Friday, September 30th
The US Imposes Further Sanctions on Iran, Turkey to Increase Militarization of Northern Cyprus, and other stories.
The US Imposes Further Sanctions on Iran
The United States has imposed sanctions on companies it suspects of involvement in Iran's petrochemical and petroleum trade. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced sanctions will apply to two China-based companies, Zhonggu Storage and Transportation Co. Ltd and WS Shipping Co Ltd, both of which Washington accuses of complicity in the sale of Iranian petroleum and petrochemical products.
The US Treasury Department also sanctioned a network of companies involved in the sale of Iranian petrochemical and petroleum products to users in South and East Asia. The action targeted Iranian brokers and companies in the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong and India, and served as a warning to anyone involved in transactions with Iran that a breach of US-imposed rules would subject entities doing business with Iran to US sanctions.
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Turkey to Increase Militarization of Northern Cyprus
In response to a recent decision by Washington to remove a long-standing arms embargo on Cyprus, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he plans to reinforce the country's military presence in Northern Cyprus. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is mainly ethnically Turkish Cypriot, and only Turkey officially recognizes the Northern Cyprus as an independent state.
Tensions are rising in the Eastern Mediterranean once again with both Turkey and Greece taking steps to further militarize the region. Turkey's increased military presence in northern Cyprus is part of Ankara's efforts to delegitimize the sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus. Greece will likely view Turkey's decision as a threat, which risks emboldening key stakeholders in an ongoing arms race on the island of Cyprus. Tensions are also high due to demands made by the US for lifting its trade embargo on Cyprus, with Washington requesting Cyprus reduce its ties with Russia and transfer its Russian-made weapons systems to Ukraine.
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Ukraine Prepares Accelerated bid to Join NATO
Following Russia’s decision to annex four regions of Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced his government’s plan to submit an “accelerated” application to join the NATO military alliance. Zelensky argued that the decision made practical sense due to the fact that Ukraine’s armed forces have “proven compatibility” with NATO standards.
Ukraine has expressed its desire to join the military alliance since 2014, and NATO member states have worked to boost Ukraine’s interoperability with NATO since then. Yet Ukraine’s bid would need all 30 NATO members to agree, a process that could take years. The move by Kiev is a change of signalling to earlier this year, when Zelenskyy said that he was no longer interested in making Ukraine a member of NATO in a bid to advance negotiations with Russia.
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China to Maintain an Aggressive Diplomatic Posture
Chinese officials have indicated that the country’s aggressive diplomatic posture will continue in the years ahead. China's Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu stated that Chinese diplomats will “not sit and do nothing” when China’s interests are being harmed.
Despite periods of subtle diplomatic engagement with much of the world, Chinese President Xi Jinping has increased the intensity of China’s international engagement. Often dubbed ‘wolf warrior diplomacy,’ China under Xi has encouraged a more aggressive diplomatic approach in a bid to elevate China to its “rightful place” at the centre of the world stage. The continuation of this approach means Chinese officials are likely to continue its aggressive search for economic partners, while at the same time working to achieve recognition of China’s national interests abroad.