US sanctions Iranian financier Ali Ansari

3 min read

The US Treasury on Friday sanctioned Iranian national Ali Ansari, calling him a key financier for supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei and accusing him of institutionalizing large-scale embezzlement that diverted public funds into overseas real estate and commercial holdings. The department says Ansari used a holding company set up in Saint Kitts and Nevis in 2011 and a global network of shell companies to move assets in Germany, Luxembourg, Spain, Britain, Cyprus, the UAE and other countries. OFAC measures can freeze US-held assets and bar US persons from dealing with him, while the State Department also targeted three exchange houses accused of moving billions for sanctioned banks.

The US froze assets and barred US business with Ali Ansari.