Treasury Department Alerts US Banks to Suspected Iranian Money Laundering Efforts

The alert comes after President Donald Trump said on May 11 that a ceasefire with Iran was on ‘life support.’

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks during a press briefing in the Brady Briefing Room at the White House in Washington on April 15, 2026. Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

The U.S. Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes ​Enforcement Network (FinCEN) on May 11 issued an alert to financial institutions warning them of efforts by ​the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to evade sanctions.

FinCEN said in a statement that the IRGC has been facilitating and laundering the proceeds of illicit oil sales using networks of financial facilitators and shell companies. The alert provides red flags on the IRGC’s oil smuggling, digital assets, and front-company abuse to aid financial institutions in detecting and reporting suspicious activity, the statement said.