US sanctions A7 network for allegedly aiding Iran’s sanctions evasion

The US Treasury has moved against A7, the Kremlin-backed fintech network accused of helping Iran slip past Western sanctions. On October 1, 2026, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated the A7 Network as a significant transnational criminal organization. The action came under Treasury’s Operation Economic Outcast. The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) joined OFAC in the effort, adding regulatory measures on top of the sanctions. What Treasury did, and why The core allegation is that A7 helped Iran run financial operations it otherwise could not. According to the Treasury action, the network assisted the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and affiliated proxy groups, including Hamas, in evading sanctions. FinCEN went further than a standard designation. It proposed a rule that would bar US financial institutions from processing any transactions tied to A7’s sub-agents. FinCEN also issued an alert flagging red flags associated with the network. Treasury identified the A7A5 token, described as a ruble-backed stablecoin, as blocked property. The scale of the alleged operation The numbers attached to A7 are large. As of January 2026, the network is claim...