US Approves New Sanctions Against Iranian Leader's Circle Over Hormuz Attacks

The United States has announced new sanctions targeting an Iranian businessman identified as a key financial facilitator for Iran's supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei. The sanctions also extend to several exchange houses and front companies that Washington claims help sanctioned Iranian banks conduct financial operations. These punitive measures are a direct response to the recent escalation of naval hostilities in commercial shipping corridors.

The US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) stated that the sanctions against businessman Ali Ansari are due to his alleged role in directing an international network of assets benefiting Khamenei and other senior officials of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. US financial intelligence investigations suggest that Ansari has institutionalized large-scale embezzlement within the Iranian regime, diverting public funds into a vast portfolio of overseas real estate and business holdings for personal enrichment and that of the regime's elites.

According to the US administration, Ansari previously owned and directed Ayandeh Bank. Washington alleges that this bank facilitated "billions of dollars through loans" to companies linked to Ansari until Iranian authorities ordered its dissolution in October 2025. Additionally, two companies, CDM Trading Limited based in Hong Kong and Naba Alzaki Raw Materials Trading LLC in the United Arab Emirates, were sanctioned for allegedly acting as cover companies for financial operations linked to these exchange houses.

The sanctions were announced shortly after President Trump declared that the US would maintain negotiations with Iran to end the conflict, while also noting the expiration of a ceasefire agreement. The US and Iran had signed a memorandum of understanding on June 17 to end the war, secure the Strait of Hormuz, and initiate talks on Iran's nuclear program. However, recent attacks in the Middle East, resulting in at least 14 deaths on Iranian soil, have complicated the situation. Tehran contends that US actions have nullified key aspects of the signed memorandum, while Trump has taken a more assertive stance.