US Treasury cracks down on Iran-linked money networks, sanctions Canadian firms

The US Treasury Department has imposed financial sanctions on eight Canadian money services firms, alleging that they facilitated transactions with sanctioned Iranian entities. These businesses, including Diverse Trade Inc and 1380079 BC Limited, have been cut off from the US dollar-based financial system, effectively preventing them from accessing US assets and conducting transactions with US persons or entities.

Canada is home to numerous money services businesses that enable the movement of funds into and out of Iran, both through cash-based systems and digital asset conversions. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defended the move, stating that Canada cannot be a safe haven for illicit financial facilitators providing services to the Iranian regime and its proxies.

The sanctions are part of Washington's Operation Economic Outcast, launched in August to disrupt the Iranian regime's financial channels and its use of digital assets to evade sanctions.

Brief written by urgent.news from Times of India's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.