Treasury drops 125 names from sanctions lists and warns foreign banks still dealing with Iran

Treasury’s release, sb0650, says today’s action removed 125 individuals and entities, “consistent with current economic, national security, and foreign policy priorities.” OFAC also updated 22 list entries so screening is easier. The people and companies removed include deceased individuals, defunct companies, and entries that lacked enough information for a solid screen. The removal page is heavy with old Iraq listings and drug-trafficking listings. This story does not print a tag-by-tag count.

The alert is titled “Notice to Foreign Financial Institutions Conducting Business with Iran,” dated Oct. 5, 2026. It says foreign banks that keep transacting with sanctioned Iranian financial institutions “could be targeted at any time without advance notification” and should cut those ties immediately. It points to earlier steps under Operation Economic Outcast: cutting correspondent access for Banque Misr UAE on Aug. 28, designating Golden Global Bank in Türkiye on Sept. 4, and designating VTB Bank on Sept. 14. It also points banks to Financial Crimes Enforcement Network guidance on Iranian shadow banking.

An amended FAQ 156, updated Oct. 5, says that if Treasury finds a foreign bank knowingly helped Iran, it will add that bank’s name to the CAPTA List, the list of foreign financial institutions subject to correspondent-account or payable-through-account sanctions. That is the list that cuts a bank off from U.S. accounts. No bank was added to it in the pages fetched Monday.