Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran

November 13, 2024 | |

Iran, Russia Link Banking Systems in Effort to Bypass Western Sanctions

Russia and Iran Connect Banking System: Iran and Russia have begun linking their banking systems to allow Iranians to use their bank cards in Russia — an apparent effort to blunt the impact of Western sanctions on both countries.

November 5, 2024 | David Daoud, Ahmad Sharawi

Hezbollah’s Unit 4400

On October 1, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced the killing of Mohammad Jaafar Qasir, a high-value Hezbollah operative who commanded the group’s Unit 4400—the body responsible for transporting...

May 10, 2024 | Janatan Sayeh, Behnam Ben Taleblu, Saeed Ghasseminejad

Why the Biden Administration’s Iran Sanctions Waivers Are Futile

The Islamic Republic also has a history of diverting resources intended for humanitarian purposes.

April 18, 2024 | Saeed Ghasseminejad, Janatan Sayeh

U.S. Presidential Elections Loom Over the Iranian Rial

Tehran’s inflation troubles present a critical vulnerability for the clerical regime.

March 26, 2024 | |

Iranian Rial’s Depreciation Persists Into Persian New Year

The Iranian rial struck a record low on March 24, trading at about 613,000 to the U.S. dollar in the unregulated market. Since January, the dollar has appreciated about 21 percent...

February 23, 2024 | Saeed Ghasseminejad |

U.S. Should Sanction Tehran’s Central Banker and His Lieutenants

The United States Department of the Treasury sanctioned a Central Bank of Iran (CBI) network on February 14 for smuggling sensitive American technology to Iran. The designation once again emphasizes CBI’s...

February 21, 2024 | Janatan Sayeh |

CBI Revoking Bank Melli’s License Is Unlikely to Curb Iran’s Sanction Evasion in Iraq

The Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) revoked Bank Melli of Iran’s operating license on February 8, following increased U.S. pressure to untangle Iraq’s financial system from Iranian money laundering and...

November 30, 2023 | Richard Goldberg |

Biden’s Imaginary Iran

Tehran’s hostility is clear, so why does the White House keep ignoring it?

October 27, 2023 | Saeed Ghasseminejad |

How to Curb Tehran’s Oil Exports

Unhindered oil revenues flowing to Tehran will harm U.S. interests.

October 17, 2023 | Rep. Darrell Issa, Richard Goldberg

Biden enriched Iran by more than $50 billion. Here’s how to turn off the spigot

The folly of Team Biden's relentless Iran appeasement has been revealed by the Hamas attacks. It's clear that an anti-Hamas, pro-Iran policy cannot coexist.

July 19, 2023 | |

In Major Reversal, U.S. Lifts Restraints on Iranian Income From Electricity Sales

The Biden administration this week reportedly issued a national security waiver allowing Iraq to pay for the import of Iranian electricity by depositing cash in Iranian bank accounts throughout the...

July 14, 2023 | |

Iraq to Pay Iran with Oil for Billions of Dollars in Debt

Iraq announced this week it would repay billions of dollars in natural gas debts owed to Iran using Iraqi oil instead of cash — a move that would likely violate U.S. sanctions absent authorization...

June 1, 2023 | Saeed Ghasseminejad |

A Perilous Equation: Khamenei’s Nuclear Ambitions and Washington’s Inaction

Washington acknowledges that there is no simple way to return to the original nuclear deal with Iran, yet the lack of a viable alternative leaves the Biden administration seemingly rudderless.

May 23, 2023 | Richard Goldberg |

The Road to Israel-Saudi Normalization Runs Through Washington

Open ties between the two nations are in everyone’s interest, but it will take serious intent and deft maneuvering from America to get there. Is the administration up to it?

May 15, 2023 | |

Europe Pushes Iran Deal at Ukraine’s Expense

European governments are reportedly pressuring the Biden administration to revive efforts to reach a new nuclear deal with Iran despite a deepening of Iranian-Russian strategic relations...

March 13, 2023 | |

U.S., Iran May Be Negotiating Payoff for American Hostages

Iran’s foreign minister said on Sunday the United States and Iran were on the cusp of a “prisoner swap,” with media reports adding that the exchange could include a U.S. ransom...

January 10, 2023 | Behnam Ben Taleblu, Saeed Ghasseminejad

U.S. Should Sanction Tehran’s New Central Banker

Iran’s government appointed Mohammad Reza Farzin as the new governor of the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) in late December as the country’s national currency, the rial, plummeted against the U.S. dollar....

December 12, 2022 | |

Biden Administration Refuses to Rule Out Sanctions Relief for Iran

When asked last week whether nuclear negotiations with Iran were still ongoing, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, “We continue to believe that ultimately diplomacy is the most...

November 22, 2022 | |

Canada Intensifies Sanctions on Iran, But Further Action Needed

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service is investigating Iranian death threats against Canadians who have publicly criticized Tehran, the spy agency said last week. The announcement appears to reflect Ottawa’s increasing efforts to hold Iran accountable for its bloody suppression of anti-regime protests. Last Wednesday, Canada imposed its fifth round of sanctions this year against regime targets pursuant to the Special Economic Measures Act, bringing Ottawa’s total number of designations to 280. However, Ottawa has stopped short of perhaps the most impactful step it could take: designating Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization pursuant to Canada’s Criminal Code.

October 20, 2022 | |

U.S. Offer of Sanctions Relief Remains Active Despite Iran Protests

Human rights groups report that the Islamic Republic of Iran has killed at least 233 Iranians, including at least 32 minors, while detaining thousands more during mass protests over the past five weeks. Though the State Department said last week that nuclear talks with Iran are “not our focus right now,” the Biden administration has yet to withdraw offers of sanctions relief already made to the regime in Tehran — leaving the door open for lifting sanctions on entities and sectors of Iran’s economy that finance the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which has played a role in suppressing protests.