FinCEN Issues Advisory Highlighting Iranian Oil Smuggling, Shadow Banking, and Weapons Procurement Typologies

Immediate Release

Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) is issuing an Advisory to assist financial institutions in identifying, preventing, and reporting suspicious activity connected to Iranian illicit financial activity, including oil smuggling, “shadow banking,” and weapons procurement. The Advisory replaces FinCEN’s 2018 Iran Advisory, which FinCEN is rescinding today.

The Advisory supports the implementation of the U.S. maximum pressure campaign against Iran outlined in National Security Presidential Memorandum (NSPM-2) and provides updated red flags and information on current trends and typologies for Iranian sanctions evasion and other illicit activity.

Concurrently, Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control is designating over 30 individuals and entities tied to Iranian brothers Mansour, Nasser, and Fazlolah Zarringhalam, who have collectively laundered billions of dollars through the international financial system via Iranian exchange houses and foreign front companies under their control as part of Iran’s “shadow banking” network.

Advisory: https://www.fincen.gov/sites/default/files/advisory/2025-06-06/FinCEN-Advisory-Illicit-Oil-Smuggling-508.pdf

Treasury News Release: https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0159

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