US slaps sanctions on dozens of entities accused of moving billions for Iran’s military

The United States has imposed new sanctions on nearly 50 entities and people it accuses of moving billions of dollars for Iran’s military, as Washington seeks to increase pressure on Tehran.

The US Treasury Department in a statement says those targeted on Tuesday constitute a “shadow banking network” used by Iran’s Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL) and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), both of which are under US sanctions.

The network helped MODAFL and IRGC gain access to the international financial system and process the equivalent of billions of dollars since 2020, the Treasury said.

“The United States is taking action against a vast shadow banking system used by Iran’s military to launder billions of dollars of oil proceeds and other illicit revenue,” Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo says in the statement.

The action targets dozens of cover companies in Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates and the Marshall Islands, as well as Iran and Turkey-based firms.

The move freezes any of their US assets and generally bars Americans from dealing with them. Those that engage in certain transactions with them also risk being hit with sanctions.