US launches sweeping new Iran sanctions campaign, expands secondary sanctions exposure
The United States has launched a broad new economic pressure campaign against Iran, sanctioning nearly 60 targets and expanding potential secondary sanctions to five additional sectors of the Iranian economy.
WASHINGTON, August 24, 2026 — The US Treasury Department on Monday launched what it called “Operation Economic Outcast,” a new government-wide campaign targeting Iran’s international financial, trade and procurement networks.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned nearly 60 individuals, entities and vessels across multiple jurisdictions over alleged involvement in Iranian oil revenues, nuclear and missile procurement, malicious cyber activity and sanctions evasion.
OFAC also issued five new sectoral determinations under Executive Order 13902 covering Iran’s digital assets, technology, gold, aviation and shipping sectors. The determinations substantially broaden the pool of foreign persons that could face US sanctions for operating in, or providing services supporting, those sectors.
Treasury said the measures expand secondary sanctions exposure for companies and other parties continuing certain Iran-related business and warned that entities facilitating Iranian money laundering or sanctions evasion risk being cut off from the US financial system. US officials are also engaging foreign governments and giving them timelines to shut down identified Iran-related activity, Treasury said.
The action additionally suspended Iran General License F, covering certain US-Iran professional and amateur sports activities and exchanges, and General License G, which covered certain academic exchanges and educational services. Both suspensions took effect Aug. 24.
Targets announced Monday include procurement networks allegedly supplying proliferation-sensitive technology for Iran’s nuclear research and ballistic missile programs, Iranian-linked cyber actors and shipping and oil-trading networks accused of generating revenue for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and other Iranian government bodies.
The Iran measures were announced alongside separate Syria-related actions in which the State Department rescinded Syria’s State Sponsor of Terrorism designation and revoked Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham’s designation as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist. OFAC consequently removed HTS from the SDN List and revoked Syria General License 25.
Regulatory Actions
Structured data extracted from official sources and validated by sanctions experts