US Federal Judge Richard Leon suspended the US government’s sanctions against Francesca Albanese, who serves as the UN Special Rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, on Wednesday. Leon argued that lifting the sanctions was necessary to protect free speech.
Albanese expressed her gratitude on the platform X to her family for their support during the proceedings. Her relatives had sued against the sanctions, which were seen as a restriction of their rights.
In a different context, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent commented on Iranian oil production. He reported that production on the key export island of Kharg has come to a halt. “We believe their storage capacities are exhausted,” Bessent said in an interview with CNBC.
The blockade could cause long-term damage to Iranian oil facilities if oil wells need to be shut down. Bessent warned that this could lead to a so-called “shut in,” significantly impacting Tehran’s revenues.
