Treasury sanctions Iran as elites allegedly move tens of millions abroad
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Iran’s ruling elite is said to be moving “tens of millions of dollars” out of the country as the US imposes new sanctions against the regime’s violent protest crackdown. reports.
The regime’s “capital flight” took place with the announcement made by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control on January 15. release He said he was “taking action against shadow banking networks that allow Iran’s elite to steal and launder revenues from the country’s natural resources.”
“There are numerous reports, some yet unconfirmed, of various forms of capital flight from the Islamic Republic.” Behnam Ben Taleblu, A senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies told Fox News Digital:
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House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith sent a letter to Treasury Secretary and acting IRS head Scott Bessent, pictured here, and IRS CEO Frank Bisignano, recommending CAIR-California for IRS review. (Al Drago/Getty Images)
If confirmed, the suspicious money outflow underscores the need for U.S. authorities to track down and “freeze and seize” assets tied to sanctioned figures, Ben Taleblu said.
“If capital flight has occurred, then these are accounts that the U.S. government should be monitoring, blocking, freezing and seizing,” he said.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also said in a speech: “At the direction of President Trump, the Treasury Department is imposing sanctions on key Iranian leaders who participate in the brutal oppression of the Iranian people. Treasury will use every tool to target those behind the regime’s brutal oppression of human rights.” expression On January 15th.
Bessent continued with a statement: report how his department tracked the flow of “tens of millions of dollars” of cables coming out of Iran by leaders.
“We’re seeing rats running overboard right now, because we can see millions, tens of millions of dollars being moved out of the country by the Iranian leadership,” Bessent added.
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Treasury sanctions target Iran’s shadow banking as Mojtaba Khamenei allegedly funnels millions abroad. (QASSEM AL-KAABI/AFP via Getty Images)
“So they’re abandoning ship, and we’re seeing this coming to banks and financial institutions all over the world,” he added.
According to Channel 14’s report, Iranian figures are said to be moving large sums of money abroad; Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is alleged to have transferred approximately $328 million abroad in recent days as part of an estimated $1.5 billion transfer.
“There were also some reports on social media that large amounts of Bitcoin or other types of financial assets were transferred. I have not been able to independently verify this, but it is something that has been discussed,” Ben Taleblu said. he added.
“The Treasury Department’s handling of this issue suggests quite seriously that Washington is also trying to link foreign economic policy with national security policy,” he said.
Ben Taleblu also claimed that Iran’s shadow banking system is deeply embedded in global finance, with billions of dollars being diverted to jurisdictions “including the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong and Singapore.”
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Trump is weighing U.S. options to respond to Iran’s crackdown on protesters. (Mark Schiefelbein/AP Photo;Toby Melville/Reuters)
“In the past, Washington has monitored the regime’s shadow banking activities, which unfortunately include trading and money laundering through friendlier, more Western-leaning jurisdictions,” Ben Taleblu said.
“In fact, the Treasury Department has identified a fund of almost $9 billion. Iranian shadow banking activity “This affected the accounts of US correspondents throughout 2024,” he said.
Ben Taleblu added that the economic pressure campaign has focused attention on President Donald Trump’s next move.
“All eyes are on President Trump right now to see if he is drawing from the Reagan playbook, the Obama playbook, or something else entirely,” Ben Taleblu said.
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“The million-dollar question is whether something kinetic will happen, especially after the most violent crackdown on protesters in the history of the Islamic Republic.”
“Economic sanctions are useful and necessary,” he added, “but they are not enough to level the playing field between the street and the state.”
