The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned 19 individuals and entities supporting Kata’ib Hizballah, Lebanese Hizballah and Iranian sanctions evasion under Operation Economic Outcast. The measures target militia commanders, defense procurement networks, an exchange business transferring funds to Iran, and money changers and gold dealers that moved funds from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force to Hizballah. OFAC also adopted a presumption of denial for Iran-related specific license requests, except where required by law or in limited circumstances such as risks to life, limb or environmental safety, and immediately began denying the vast majority of outstanding requests. The designated parties span Iraq, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates and Türkiye. Their U.S.-linked property is blocked, entities owned 50% or more by blocked persons are also blocked, and foreign financial institutions facilitating significant transactions for designated parties may face secondary sanctions. Separately, an individual agreed to pay USD 1,427,230 to settle potential civil liability for providing consulting and advisory services to an Iranian software company, receiving Iranian-origin dividends in U.S. bank accounts and acquiring property in Iran. OFAC classified the apparent violations as egregious and not voluntarily self-disclosed. The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network also issued a whistleblower bulletin seeking information on potential Bank Secrecy Act and sanctions violations involving Iranian proxies and facilitators outside Iran.

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