The United States says it is adding Iran to the list of countries it accuses of failing to crack down on human trafficking and that it has increased restrictions against Russia, which was already on the list.
The White House on September 30 said that along with Iran, Venezuela and four African nations would be added to the U.S. list -- the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, South Sudan, and Sudan.
Along with Russia, countries already on the list that are facing further restrictions are North Korea, Eritrea, and Syria. Those countries would be constrained from engaging in educational or cultural exchange programs with the United States.
The administration of President Donald Trump also ordered the U.S. executive director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and U.S. executive directors at other multilateral development banks to vote against extending loans or other funds to Russia, Iran, or North Korea for fiscal year 2018, which begins on October 1.
Under a 2000 U.S. law, the United States does not provide nonhumanitarian, nontrade-related assistance to countries that fail to meet minimum standards for eliminating trafficking and are not undertaking measures to do so.