United States imposes new sanctions on exchangers and firms linked to Iran
Washington says the measures are meant to disrupt networks that secretly moved hundreds of millions of dollars tied to Iranian oil sales.
The United States today imposed a fresh wave of sanctions on companies, currency exchanges and financial intermediaries that Washington says helped Iran secretly move hundreds of millions of dollars through the international financial system.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the purchases of Iranian oil by so‑called "teapot refineries" — smaller independent refineries — represent a key economic lifeline for Tehran.
Sanctions target crude‑for‑cash networks
According to the Treasury, the measures are aimed at entities that facilitated oil sales and then channelled or concealed the proceeds through front companies to evade existing restrictions.
State Department spokesman Tommy Piggott said the goal of the steps is "to cut off the financial sources that sustain Iran's ruling elite."
U.S. officials described the move as part of a broader effort to choke off revenue streams that Washington says fund Tehran's destabilizing activities, adding that the newly designated networks allowed Tehran to access oil income despite sanctions.
Photo: press material from the event
