Foreign financial institutions and other non-U.S. companies newly tasked with disclosing when their affiliates deal with Iranian government officials are finding the requirements onerous, according to compliance officers and consultants.
The government of Iran and banks under its influence are increasingly using investments in foreign financial institutions as a means to circumvent sanctions, including restrictions on interbank messages, say sources.
Lawmakers in both chambers of Congress this week mulled imposing new financial and energy-related sanctions against Iran ahead of planned negotiations with Iranian officials later this month.
American sanctions enforcers will "primarily" focus in coming months on blacklisting Chinese firms that buy and resell defense industry or dual-use goods to Iran, a U.S. Justice Department official said Wednesday.
The authors of a U.S. embargo against Iran's central bank and petroleum industry called on the White House Thursday to be strict with foreign financial institutions under the law's statutes.
U.S. and foreign banks are awaiting official guidance on how to adhere to a new American sanctions law against the Central Bank of Iran before implementing its screening procedures.
Proposed amendments to an Iran sanctions law that would require U.S. banks to certify whether their foreign counterparts do business with blacklisted Iranians would be a "huge" compliance burden if implemented, say top officials at the nation's largest financial trade group.
An alleged plot by Iranian officials to assassinate Saudi Arabia's U.S. ambassador raised questions Thursday about whether Congress needs to strengthen a sanctions law and blacklist Iran's central bank.
The U.S. Treasury Department finalized regulations Wednesday requiring banks to ask their correspondent financial institutions about accounts tied to Iran when requested to do so by U.S. officials.
European banks are asking the U.S. Treasury Department to amend proposed regulations that would require them to conduct three-month look-backs within 30 days of a request by American officials.