WASHINGTON – A pair of Iranian financiers and more than a dozen people and companies across Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates were approved on Tuesday for allegedly coordinating a $100 million cryptocurrency transfer Iranian Government and military.
The Ministry of Finance claims that Iranian nationals Alireza Derakhshan and Arash Estaki Alivand have promoted the purchase of more than $100 million worth of cryptocurrencies for the Iranian government. The Treasury said the two then used the network of front companies in various countries to transfer cryptocurrency funds.
The so-called “shadow banking” networks are evading sanctions like this, through money laundering through overseas frontline companies and cryptocurrencies.
The U.S. will continue to undermine the funds, John K. Hurley, secretary of terrorism and financial intelligence, said in a statement Iranian Weapon programs and vicious activities in the Middle East and elsewhere. ”
To authorize sanctions, the United States used an executive order issued by Donald Trump in February, called the Presidential Memorandum 2 of the National Security President, which calls on the United States to “driving” Iranian The oil export is zero. ”It also pointed out Iran “Nuclear weapons can never be allowed to be acquired or developed.”
Among other things, these sanctions deny that people and businesses can use any property or financial assets held by the United States and prevent U.S. companies and citizens from doing business with them.
Iran And other sanctioned countries are increasingly using cryptocurrencies to evade sanctions. Crypto Tracking Company Chain Analysis Reports Approved Jurisdiction and Entities, e.g. Iranreceived $15.8 billion in cryptocurrency in 2024, accounting for about 39% of all illegal crypto transactions.
The latest sanctions also occurred in France, with Britain and Germany triggering a “fast return mechanism” that automatically reimposes UN sanctions on all UN Iran Regarding its nuclear program, Iran Deliberately left their 2015 nuclear agreement to cancel the measures.
The United States and Iran Trying to reach a new nuclear deal earlier this year, but those negotiations have not resumed since Israel lasted for 12 days Iranian Nuclear and military sites and U.S. bombing on June 22.
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Associated Press reporter Stephanie Liechtenstein contributed to the report in Vienna.
