US imposes sanctions on Iran's automotive and railway companies and the A7 'shadow banking' network
Washington has added Iran's major automotive and railway companies, as well as the A7 network, which is said to have links to Russia, to its sanctions list.
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The US Department of the Treasury has announced new sanctions against Iran. The measures target leading companies operating in Iran's automotive and railway sectors, as well as the A7 "shadow banking" network, which is alleged to be used by the Tehran administration to circumvent sanctions.
In its statement, the Department noted that the sanctions cover major companies in Iran's railway and automotive sectors, as well as entities providing international supplies to these fields. Washington argues that Iran has turned to alternative channels such as automotive and rail transport following the pressures it faces in oil transportation.
SCOPE OF THE SANCTIONS
Iran's leading automotive companies, Khodro and SAIPA, along with their subsidiaries, have been added to the new sanctions list. The US Department of the Treasury reported that these companies account for more than 90 percent of Iran's domestic automotive market.
In the railway sector, the state-owned Islamic Republic of Iran Railways, the Raja Passenger Train Company, and a prominent private railway transport company have been included under the sanctions.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that the decision "directly targets the elements that enable Iran's financial activities and paves the way for the US and its partners to ultimately dry up the regime's revenue sources."
The Department also took action against the A7 network, which is said to have links to Russia. It was noted that the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) under the US Department of the Treasury has proposed a regulation that would prohibit money transfers related to transactions involving A7's sub-agents and has issued an advisory for financial institutions.
The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) added the A7 network to the sanctions list as a "significant international criminal organization." The statement alleged that the network established a global structure consisting of private companies to disguise payments linked to sanctioned individuals and sectors as ordinary commercial activities.
Bessent stated that the move against A7 is a continuation of efforts to isolate Iran and its financial backers, sending a message that actors facilitating illegal financing activities will lose their access to the US financial system.
Washington describes these decisions as a new phase of its "Economic Isolation" operation, which aims to isolate Iran from the global economic system. In this context, the US administration states that it aims to limit Tehran's war capacity, missile production, cyber activities, and the financing of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.