The Trump administration imposed sanctions on Monday against more than 50 entities and individuals tied to Iranian financial and shipping networks that U.S. officials say generate billions of dollars for Tehran’s regime and its terrorist proxies.
The measures, announced by the U.S. Departments of State and Treasury, are part of the administration’s broader “Economic Fury” campaign aimed at cutting off revenue streams that finance Iran’s nuclear program, ballistic missile development and support for regional terrorist organizations.
“Iran’s shadow banking system facilitates the illicit transfer of funding for terrorist purposes,” Scott Bessent, the U.S. treasury sanctuary, stated. “As Treasury systematically dismantles Tehran’s shadow banking system and shadow fleet under Economic Fury, financial institutions must be alert to how the regime manipulates the international financial system to wreak havoc.”
The sanctions focus on Iranian exchange house Amin Exchange, also known as Ebrahimi and Associates Partnership Company, and a network of front companies operating in the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Hong Kong and China. U.S. officials allege that the network facilitated hundreds of millions of dollars in transactions for sanctioned Iranian banks and entities linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
“By taking steps to dismantle these financial channels, the United States aims to deny the Iranian regime the resources it uses to threaten regional stability, support terrorist organizations and develop weapons programs,” Tommy Pigott, State Department spokesman, stated.
The Treasury Department also sanctioned 19 vessels accused of transporting Iranian petroleum and petrochemical products through deceptive shipping practices, including ship-to-ship transfers and falsified documentation.
Under the sanctions, all property and interests in property of the designated individuals and entities within U.S. jurisdiction are blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with them. Foreign entities that conduct significant business with sanctioned parties could also face secondary sanctions.
