US sanctions network tied to Mojtaba Khamenei and Iranian financiers

The U.S. Treasury Department added eight individuals and six companies to its Specially Designated Nationals list, targeting a network of foreign exchange bureaus and affiliates linked to Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Iran’s former Supreme Leader. The sanctions focus on Ali Ansari, an Iranian banker based in Dubai, and include entities registered in Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong and Saint Kitts‑Nevis such as Lavasani & Partners Exchange, Mohammad Darbani & Partners Exchange, Mohsen Khandan & Partners Exchange and Smart Global Limited. The Treasury said the network facilitates large‑scale embezzlement of Iranian state‑linked funds, channeling money into real‑estate and commercial holdings across multiple jurisdictions and supporting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and other regime elites. The measures come amid renewed U.S.–Iran hostilities in West Asia, following a recent exchange of strikes between the two sides.