- President Donald Trump is pushing for new tariffs and sanctions targeting both Iran and Russia.
- Donald Trump announced severe new economic sanctions and trade halts against Iran.
- The US administration seeks to force Iranian leadership into submission as Iran uses black markets to bypass sanctions.
US Treasury Targets Babak Zanjani in Iranian Oil Sanctions Evasion Network
What happened
The US Treasury has targeted the sanctions evasion network linked to Babak Zanjani, an Iranian businessman. The reports connect Zanjani to the skimming of toll fees collected through his crypto exchange, BitBank, in the Strait of Hormuz. Zanjani has been linked to commercial networks that sell Iranian oil exports using sanctions evasion schemes.
Why it matters
The targeting of Zanjani's enterprise highlights how elite connections are leveraged to evade international sanctions. These schemes involve commercial networks that sell Iranian oil exports and provide financial support and money laundering services.
The US administration seeks to force Iranian leadership into submission as Iran uses black markets to bypass sanctions.
Who's involved
- Babak ZanjaniIranian businessman whose enterprise is being targeted by the US Treasury for sanctions evasion.
- Islamic Revolutionary Guard CorpsMilitary organization that receives financial support and money laundering services from Zanjani's network.
- National Iranian Oil CompanyOil and gas company of Iran from which Zanjani was convicted of embezzling funds.
- Ali KhameneiFormer Supreme Leader of Iran whose sphere of influence is utilized by Zanjani for business operations.
- TurkeyGeopolitical state where Zanjani's firms were functionally based to operate and evade international sanctions.
Keep exploring
The entities involved
-
Babak Zanjani
Iranian businessman
Nothing else this week.