First Designation of IRGC-Linked Digital Asset ExchangeWASHINGTON—Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) took additional action against Iranian officials responsible for the regime’s brutal crackdown on its own people.  Among the officials sanctioned today is Eskandar Momeni Kalagari —Iran’s Minister of the Interior—who oversees the murderous Law Enforcement Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran (LEF), a key entity responsible for the deaths of thousands of peaceful protestors. OFAC also designated Babak Morteza Zanjani, a criminal Iranian investor who previously embezzled billions of dollars in Iranian oil revenue that rightfully belonged to the Iranian people and was never fully recovered.  Freed from imprisonment in order to launder money for the regime, Zanjani has provided financial backing for major projects that support the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Iranian regime more broadly.  Additionally, for the first time, OFAC designated two digital asset exchanges linked to Zanjanithat have processed large volumes of funds associated with IRGC-linked counterparties.  This marks OFAC’s first designation of a digital asset exchange for operating in the financial sector of the Iranian economy. “Rather than build a prosperous Iran, the regime has chosen to squander what remains of the nation's oil revenues on nuclear weapons development, missiles, and terrorist proxies around the world,” said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent.  “President Trump stands with the people of Iran and has ordered Treasury to sanction members of the regime.  Treasury will continue to target Iranian networks and corrupt elites that enrich themselves at the expense of the Iranian people.  This includes the regime's attempts to exploit digital assets to evade sanctions and finance cybercriminal operations.  Like rats on a sinking ship, the regime is frantically wiring funds stolen from Iranian families to banks and financial institutions around the world.  Rest assured, Treasury will act.”Today’s action is being taken pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13553, which authorizes sanctions on certain persons with respect to serious human rights abuses by the Government of Iran; E.O. 13224, as amended, a counterterrorism authority; and E.O. 13902, which targets Iran’s financial, petroleum, and petrochemical sectors.  This action is in furtherance of the President’s National Security Presidential Memorandum 2 (NSPM-2), which undergirds Treasury’s continued campaign of maximum economic pressure against Iran’s shadow banking, money laundering, and sanctions evasion networks and has impacted the Iranian regime’s ability to sell its petroleum to support its destabilizing behavior and recoup those funds.  In 2025, OFAC sanctioned more than 875 persons, vessels, and aircraft as part of this campaign.SECURITY FORCES killing DEMONSTRATORS AND LEADING COMMUNICATIONS BLACKOUT OFAC is designating multiple senior Iranian officials who oversee elements of the security forces that are violently repressing the Iranian people, including Iran’s Minister of Interior, Eskandar Momeni Kalagari (Momeni).  Momeni is responsible for organizing domestic security services and oversees the LEF, whose actions have led to mass killings, arrests, and forced disappearances. The IRGC Intelligence Organization, under the leadership of Majid Khademi, has played an instrumental role in violently suppressing protests.  The IRGC Intelligence Organization has underpinned the Iranian security forces’ national campaign of mass violence, arbitrary detentions, and intimidation aimed at crushing Iran’s protest moment.Ghorban Mohammad Valizadeh serves as commander of the IRGC’s Seyyad al-Shohada Corps in Tehran province.  Tehran province has experienced some of the deadliest violence since the protests began, with children among the dead.  The number of demonstrators killed in Iran has overwhelmed local medical services, with morgues storing dead bodies in the streets and the corpses of those killed by Iranian security services stacked in pick-up trucks and freight containers.  Hossein Zare Kamali is the IRGC commander of Hamadan province, where the families of those killed in protests have been forced to bury their dead without funerals and where security forces have sought to ransom the bodies of dead protestors.  Hamid Damghani is the IRGC commander of Gilan province, where some of the regime’s worst atrocities have occurred. Security forces in Gilan province have killed hundreds of demonstrators, firing live ammunition at crowds of unarmed activists.  In early January, security forces, led by the IRGC, shot dozens of unarmed protestors attempting to flee a fire that engulfed the Rash bazaar.  Mehdi Hajian is the commander of the LEF for Kermanshah province, where some of the earliest regime-orchestrated violence against protestors occurred.  Under Hajian’s command, Kermanshah’s LEF has worked with the IRGC and Basij Resistance Force to carry out the regime’s crackdown, which has include mass killings and sexual violence against protestors.Eskandar Momeni Kalagari is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13553 for being an official of the Government of Iran (including members of paramilitary organizations) who is responsible for or complicit in, or responsible for ordering, controlling, or otherwise directing, the commission of serious human rights abuses against persons in Iran or Iranian citizens or residents, or the family members of the foregoing, on or after June 12, 2009, regardless of whether such abuses occurred in Iran. Majid Khademi, Ghorban Mohammad Valizadeh, Hossein Zare Kamali, and Hamid Damghani are being designated pursuant to E.O. 13553 for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.  Mehdi Hajian is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13553 for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, the Law Enforcement Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran. use of digital assets to evade sanctionsBabak Morteza Zanjani (Zanjani) is an Iranian businessman and sanctions evader.  He is active in multiple fields including hospitality, transportation, technology, financial services, and oil exports.  In March 2016, Zanjani was sentenced to death in Iran for embezzling billions of dollars from Iran’s National Oil Company, funds that rightfully belong to the Iranian people.  His sentence was commuted in 2024, and in April 2025, Zanjani served as a financial backer of one of Iran’s largest railway investments in history.Zedcex Exchange, Ltd. (Zedcex) and Zedxion Exchange, Ltd. (Zedxion) are two UK-registered digital asset exchanges with connections to Zanjani.  Since its registration in August 2022, Zedcex has processed over $94 billion in transactions.  When Zedxion was registered in May 2021, it initially listed Zanjani as its director.  Multiple Zedcex and Zedxion-attributed addresses have processed funds for wallets linked to the IRGC. OFAC is designating Babak Morteza Zanjani, Zedcex Exchange, Ltd., and Zedxion Exchange, Ltd. pursuant to E.O. 13902 for operating in the financial sector of the economy of Iran.  Additionally, OFAC is also designating Zedcex Exchange, Ltd. and Zedxion Exchange, Ltd. pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, the IRGC.SUPPORT FOR INTERNET FREEDOM IN IRANThe United States supports the Iranian people in their protests against the corrupt and repressive regime in Tehran.  As Iran’s violent crackdown and internet blackout continue, Treasury encourages relevant parties to keep in mind the longstanding general license, often referred to as GL D-2, that facilitates the Iranian people’s access to the internet and is included in the Code of Federal Regulations at 31 CFR § 560.540.  The U.S. government stands with the Iranian people and will continue to expedite related requests for guidance and, as necessary and appropriate, specific licenses.  For more information on this authorization please see OFAC’s Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), including FAQ 1110.    SANCTIONS IMPLICATIONSAs a result of today’s action, all property and interests in property of the designated or blocked persons described above that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC.  In addition, any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked.  Unless authorized by OFAC, or exempt, OFAC’s regulations generally prohibit all transactions by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of blocked persons. Violations of U.S. sanctions may result in the imposition of civil or criminal penalties on U.S. and foreign persons.  OFAC may impose civil penalties for sanctions violations on a strict liability basis.  OFAC’s Economic Sanctions Enforcement Guidelines provide more information regarding OFAC’s enforcement of U.S. economic sanctions. In addition, financial institutions and other persons may risk exposure to sanctions for engaging in certain transactions or activities involving designated or otherwise blocked persons. The prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any designated or blocked person, or the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person.   The power and integrity of OFAC sanctions derive not only from OFAC’s ability to designate and add persons to the SDN List, but also from its willingness to remove persons from the SDN List consistent with the law.  The ultimate goal of sanctions is not to punish, but to bring about a positive change in behavior.  For information concerning the process for seeking removal from an OFAC list, including the SDN List, or to submit a request, please refer to OFAC’s guidance on Filing a Petition for Removal from an OFAC List.Click here for more information on the persons designated and any property identified as blocked property today.###

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