The U.S. Department of the Treasury has begun dismantling a financial network that U.S. officials say helped Iran funnel hundreds of millions of dollars through the international financial system and evade U.S. sanctions, the U.S. State Department said on Friday.
The Treasury action targets a network of currency exchange houses, shell companies and other facilitators that U.S. officials say enabled Tehran to access oil revenue and launder funds on behalf of sanctioned Iranian banks. The Trump administration said the measures are part of its renewed “maximum pressure” campaign aimed at cutting off funding for Iran’s nuclear program, regional proxies and other destabilizing activities.
“By targeting the banks, exchange houses, and individual facilitators that operate this illicit system, the United States makes clear that those who help Iran evade sanctions will face serious consequences,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott stated.
“Actions like today’s further isolate the regime from the international financial system and reinforce that Iran’s continued support for terrorism and regional aggression will carry a steep and lasting cost,” he said.
