Iranian Banks Supporting Hezbollah and Quds Force to Be Sanctioned Again

A senior U.S. Treasury official announced on Thursday, September 26, that any Iranian banks that were removed from the sanctions list under the Vienna agreement will be targeted again if they support Hezbollah and the Quds Force. Adam Szubin made these remarks during a Senate Banking Committee meeting, which was held to assess his qualifications for the position of Deputy Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence. According to Reuters, he stated, "We are monitoring their behavior, but the choice is theirs." The U.S. Treasury website also reported that Szubin mentioned the department's efforts to cut off Iranian banks from global financial networks and intensify sanctions, noting that Congress made significant efforts in 2010, spearheaded by the Senate Banking Committee, to pass bipartisan measures against Iran. He stated that these actions resulted in a 60% reduction in Iran's oil sales, the freezing of its foreign reserves worldwide, and ensured that the leaders of the Islamic Republic understood that Iran's economic situation would not return to normal unless all pathways for Tehran to acquire a nuclear bomb were clearly and verifiably blocked. This senior Treasury official attributed Congress's efforts to the election of Hassan Rouhani and the acceleration of the diplomatic process that led to the signing of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). As we prepare to suspend sanctions under the Vienna agreement, should Iran comply with its commitments, we will simultaneously intensify sanctions that are not covered by this agreement. Adam Szubin stated during the Senate Banking Committee meeting that the JCPOA was reached on July 23 between Iran and six world powers, including the U.S., Russia, China, France, the UK, and Germany, under which Iran agreed to suspend a significant portion of its nuclear program in exchange for the lifting or suspension of international sanctions. In the past week, Republicans attempted three times to reject this agreement in the U.S. Congress, but Democratic senators prevented a vote on the matter, marking a significant victory for Barack Obama's foreign policy. If the International Atomic Energy Agency confirms Iran's compliance in its December report, the path for lifting sanctions will be cleared. However, Adam Szubin stated that the lifting of sanctions will only cover those issues emphasized within the framework of the JCPOA. He reiterated that as we prepare to suspend sanctions under the Vienna agreement, we will simultaneously intensify sanctions that are not covered by this agreement. He listed the remaining sanctions, including penalties against human rights violators, senior commanders of the Revolutionary Guards and Quds Force, Hezbollah, and other allies and agents of the Islamic Republic in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Gaza, and elsewhere. Szubin emphasized that we will have active cooperation with our allies in Europe, Gulf countries, and Israel to implement these measures.