Switzerland adds three Iran sanctions targets, removes six people

BERN, August 17, 2026 — Switzerland broadened its Iran sanctions coverage across oil financing, energy, nuclear proliferation and cyber-linked human rights conduct, while narrowing separate measures tied to military officials and weapons programs. The changes take effect Aug. 18.

The new targets are Iranian businessman Ali Ansari, MAPNA Group and hacker Nima Salehi. Ansari was listed for supporting Iran’s government through company networks that transfer funds abroad, partly from Iranian oil sales, and acquire assets for people connected to the country’s leadership.

MAPNA, an Iranian energy, oil and gas group, was listed for contributing to oil revenue that supports the armed forces and for supporting proliferation-sensitive nuclear activities. Its entry includes registration, national identification and economic code data.

Salehi was listed under a separate human rights-related section. He is described as a founder and leading figure in the Ashiyane cyber group, which is linked to the Iranian government and accused of cyberattacks against domestic opponents, reformists and foreign institutions.

Switzerland also removed six individuals. Two were Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders, while four others had been listed in connection with Iran’s drone or missile programs, weapons transfers, or related military command structures.

The Research Centre for Explosion and Impact, also known as METFAZ, remains listed but its entry was amended. The extracted text links the center to detonation technology and proliferation-sensitive nuclear activities, although it does not clearly distinguish every revised field.

The affected sanctions sections provide for financial restrictions and a prohibition on honoring certain claims. Some also cover entry and transit bans. For screening teams, the additions, removals, aliases and entity identifiers change the data used to identify potential sanctions matches.