US imposes new sanctions on Iran, targeting 8 individuals and 6 companies

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — WASHINGTON — The U.S. Treasury Department announced a new round of sanctions aimed at Iran's financial networks, designating 8 individuals and 6 companies. Among those targeted is Mojtaba Khamenei, son of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, according to the department's Office of Foreign Assets Control. The sanctions were announced after the United States said Iran had resumed attacks on international maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. The package centers on Dubai-based Iranian businessman Ali Ansari, whom the Treasury accused of channeling large loans to companies linked to him through Ayende Bank, where he was a former owner and executive. The department said the loans contributed to billions of dollars in debt accumulation, leading to the bank's liquidation in 2025. According to the Treasury, Ansari managed an investment network through Smart Global Limited that extended into Germany, Luxembourg, Spain, the United Kingdom, Cyprus and the United Arab Emirates. The department alleged that revenues from those assets were transferred to Mojtaba Khamenei and entities connected to Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps. The package also targeted two front companies in Hong Kong and the UAE that allegedly moved billions of dollars annually into sanctioned Iranian banks. The Treasury said the measures are grounded in executive orders targeting Iran's financial and oil sectors as well as senior officials, along with counterterrorism legislation. No immediate response from Iranian authorities was reported.