The Trump administration has imposed sanctions on a network of individuals and entities accused of facilitating financial transactions for Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. The Treasury Department announced Friday that Ali Ansari, described as Khamenei's alleged Dubai-based moneyman, along with three Iranian currency exchanges and front companies in Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates, are now subject to U.S. financial restrictions.
These measures follow recent U.S. airstrikes on Iran, which were themselves a response to Iranian attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that the sanctions aim to isolate Khamenei and other regime elites from the global financial system, with the intention of preserving assets for the Iranian people.
According to a Treasury Department statement, Ansari allegedly oversees a global network of assets that benefit Iran's leader. The department claims he has institutionalized embezzlement within the Iranian regime, diverting public funds into an international portfolio of real estate and commercial holdings. Ansari previously owned the Tehran-based Ayandeh Bank, which reportedly incurred billions in losses before Khamenei assumed leadership.
The Treasury Department stated that Ayandeh Bank issued loans backed by Iran's central bank to Ansari's companies, enabling him to expand an overseas business empire for Khamenei. Through a company registered in Saint Kitts and Nevis, Ansari has reportedly acquired property and investments in Cyprus, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain, the UAE, and the UK since 2011. These assets, though held in Ansari's name, are believed to be ultimately for the financial benefit of Khamenei, his family, and other Iranian elites.
In addition to targeting Ansari, the Treasury also sanctioned institutions involved in currency exchange and two international partner organizations. These entities are accused of moving billions of dollars annually on behalf of sanctioned Iranian banks, utilizing shell companies to obscure the ultimate beneficiaries. Specifically, Hong Kong-based CDM Trading Limited and UAE-based Naba Alzaki Raw Materials Trading LLC were identified as front companies used by Iranian exchange houses, including Mohsen Khandan and Partners General Partnership Company, as part of Iran's financial network.
The sanctions effectively disconnect these sanctioned entities from the U.S.-governed global banking system and freeze any assets under U.S. jurisdiction. The Treasury Department has been conducting what it calls "Operation Economic Fury" to support U.S. military efforts aimed at compelling Iran to relinquish its nuclear program.