No big news today, so it’s time for another Export Law Blog grab bag:

• Failed state Solomon Islands wanted Iran to pay for transportation of Solomon Islands students to Cuba to attend medical school. Australia-based ANZ Bank refused to transfer $100,000 from Iran to pay for the transportation. The Solomon Islands High Commissioner to Australia complained that the banks actions weren’t based on international sanctions. The bank responded that it simply doesn’t engage in financial transactions involving Iran or Cuba. Presumably ANZ doesn’t want to cough up another $5.75 million fine to OFAC. Sometimes OFAC can successfully use fear as a means of asserting extraterritorial jurisdiction
• Looks like that Iranian communications satellite that’s been kicking around for a while is going to remain earthbound for the forseeable future. The Russians sat on the satellite since 2005, leading the Iranians to claim that Italy would be launching it “soon.” Carlo Gavazzi Space said today that an Italian launch of the satellite wasn’t likely to happen since there were no launch platforms in Italy, that the satellite is currently in Italy and that no export license had been requested or would be requested for the satellite to be exported to another country for launch.
• The Miami Herald published a bipartisan letter on Tuesday from Republican Richard Lugar and Democrat Howard Berman urging an end to the U.S. ban on travel to Cuba, noting that Cuba was the only country in the world to which Americans couldn’t travel and that the ban had prevented contact between “Cubans and ordinary Americans, who serve as ambassadors for the democratic values we hold dear.” The ink on the Miami Herald letter was hardly dry before José R. Cárdenas at Foreign Policy shot back, arguing that there was no reason to end the hugely successful travel ban and taking a swipe at ordinary Americans, who he claimed wouldn’t be ambassadors for democratic values but just a few more drunks on the beaches in Cuba.

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