U.S. Official to Visit Moscow for Talks on Syria, Iran

A senior Treasury Department official will travel to Russia and the Middle East for talks about sanctions on Syria and Iran, the U.S. government said Monday, days after Moscow vetoed U.N. action against Damascus.

The Treasury Department's assistant secretary for terrorist financing Daniel Glaser will visit Doha, Muscat and Moscow from February 6-10.

Talks will detail "the need for authorities to remain vigilant against attempts by the Syrian regime to evade international sanctions," according to a Treasury statement.

The Moscow leg of the trip will see discussions about transnational criminal organizations and "global efforts to increase pressure on the Iranian regime and isolate Iran from the international financial system."

On Monday the White House said U.S. President Barack Obama had imposed new sanctions on Iran's central bank as he seeks to tighten a choke-hold on the Islamic Republic's ailing economy and compel it to reverse course on its nuclear program.