US sanctions Iran officials and financial facilitators in a new package that blends human-rights pressure with oil-money enforcement. On January 15, 2026, the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced designations aimed at the “architects” of Iran’s protest crackdown and at “shadow banking” networks accused of laundering petroleum and petrochemical revenue.
What the US sanctions Iran package includes
Treasury said the US sanctions Iran security leadership tied to violent repression. The department named Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme Council for National Security, as one of the sanctioned figures and said he was among the first to call for violence against protesters.
Treasury also said it targeted senior commanders linked to security forces in two provinces.
Lorestan: Mohammad Reza Hashemifar (Law Enforcement Forces commander) and Nematollah Bagheri (IRGC commander).
Fars: Azizollah Maleki (Law Enforcement Forces commander) and Yadollah Buali (IRGC commander).
Reuters reported the US sanctions Iran list included five senior officials and Fardis Prison, which the State Department described as a site where women endured “cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment.”
Treasury framed the action under multiple authorities, including executive orders tied to serious human-rights abuses and to Iran’s financial and petroleum sectors.
Shadow banking: how the US sanctions Iran evasion channels
A second pillar of the US sanctions Iran action targets what Treasury called clandestine “shadow banking” networks linked to Bank Melli and Shahr Bank. Treasury said these networks launder proceeds from Iranian petroleum and petrochemical sales and help move trade payments through front companies and exchange houses.
Treasury described “rahbar” companies as entrusted firms set up by Iranian banks to manage international transactions for clients, often through cover companies in multiple jurisdictions.
In the Bank Melli lane, Treasury cited firms including Nikan Pezhvak Aria Kish Company, Empire International Trading FZE (UAE), and Golden Mist PTE. Ltd. (Singapore), alleging they were used to route funds and process large transactions tied to Iranian oil revenue.
In the Shahr Bank lane, Treasury cited HMS Trading FZE (UAE) and Tejarat Hermes Energy Qeshm (Iran), plus several alleged front companies used in transactions involving petroleum and petrochemical exports.
Reuters reported the US sanctions Iran package also included 18 people accused of laundering proceeds from Iranian petroleum and petrochemical sales through foreign markets as part of shadow banking networks.
The message from Treasury and what it signals
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the United States “stands firmly behind the Iranian people” and added: “Treasury will use every tool to target those behind the regime’s tyrannical oppression of human rights.”
Reuters also quoted Bessent warning Iranian leaders that Washington is tracking funds being wired to banks and financial institutions around the world.
Taken together, the US sanctions Iran action reads as a renewed “maximum pressure” posture focused on both violence and money movement.
Why it matters for oil, banks, and shippers
The US sanctions Iran designations raise compliance risk because they touch both security leadership and financial plumbing.
Banks face higher screening burdens and greater exposure to strict-liability enforcement if sanctioned parties have indirect ownership stakes. Treasury restated that blocked persons’ property in the U.S. is frozen and that entities owned 50% or more by blocked persons are also blocked.
For shipping and trading, the US sanctions Iran focus on oil and petrochemical proceeds increases uncertainty around payment rails, counterparties, and documentation. Even when a cargo is not sanctioned, settlement pathways can become the weak link.
This can also feed into Gulf security pricing. If secondary enforcement tightens, participants often demand wider margins to cover delay, financing, and insurance friction.
What to watch next
Implementation and follow-on actions
The US sanctions Iran package will bite harder if OFAC follows with advisories, enforcement cases, or more designations tied to shipping, insurers, and intermediaries.
Evidence of disrupted flows
Watch for signs that Iran-linked petroleum and petrochemical flows face slower settlement, fewer willing counterparties, or higher war-risk and compliance costs.
Coordination with allies
If partners align on laundering networks, the US sanctions Iran effort can become more effective because evasion relies on cross-border financial access.