US Imposes New Sanctions on Iranian Elite's Financial Assets

On Friday, the United States imposed new sanctions related to Iran. They targeted a key financier of the new Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, as well as 13 other individuals and entities. The move followed renewed Iranian attacks on oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.

Among those sanctioned is Iranian banker and businessman Ali Ansari, who operates in Dubai. The US Department of the Treasury alleges that he diverted public funds into an extensive overseas portfolio of real estate and business interests, from which he, regime officials and the Revolutionary Guards allegedly profited.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control also targeted three Iranian currency exchange houses and foreign front companies. These entities allegedly used a network of shell companies to funnel billions of dollars annually to sanctioned Iranian banks and conceal the origin of the transactions.

Washington announced the sanctions following a week of renewed fighting, during which Iran fired on Qatari and Saudi Arabian tankers. The United States subsequently attacked Iranian targets, and Tehran responded with strikes on US military facilities in the Persian Gulf.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described the sanctions as a violation of the agreement, under which Washington was not supposed to impose new restrictions or deploy additional forces to the region. Tehran claims it is complying with the agreement for now, but is prepared for "all-outdefense" in the event of a breach.

(Reuters, luc)