US targets Iran's shadow banking with new sanctions

The U.S. issued Iran-related sanctions targeting more than 30 individuals and entities it said are part of a "shadow banking" network that has laundered billions of dollars through the global financial system, the Treasury Department said on Friday.

The sanctions, which target Iranian nationals and some entities in the United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong, were announced as U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is working to get a new nuclear deal with Tehran. Treasury said at least two of the companies were linked to Iran's national tanker company.

"Iran’s shadow banking system is a critical lifeline for the regime through which it accesses the proceeds from its oil sales, moves money, and funds its destabilizing activities," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said.

The U.S. believes the network helps Tehran fund its nuclear and missile programs and support its militant proxies throughout the Middle East.

It was the first round of U.S. sanctions targeting the shadow banking infrastructure since Trump re-imposed "maximum pressure" on Iran in February, Treasury said.

Talks between Iran and the U.S. that aim to resolve a decades-long dispute over Tehran's nuclear ambitions have been stuck over disagreements about uranium enrichment.

Treasury said the individuals and entities are tied to Iranian brothers Mansour, Nasser, and Fazlolah Zarringhalam, who collectively laundered billions of dollars through the international financial system.

Treasury said the brothers operate exchange houses in Iran and a network of front companies in Hong Kong and the UAE, but did not say where they are located.

Iran's mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Reuters was not able to locate the brothers for comment.

Treasury said front companies in the network operate accounts in multiple currencies at various banks to facilitate payments for blocked Iranian entities selling Iranian oil.

Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control added Ace Petrochem FZE, and Moderate General Trading LLC, both registered in the UAE, to its Specially Designated Nationals list, freezing any of their U.S. assets. OFAC said they are both linked to the state-owned National Iranian Tanker Company which is under U.S. sanctions for exporting Iranian oil.