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US Charges Kata’ib Hizballah Commander Over Alleged IRGC-Linked Terror Plot
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced the arrest and charging of Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, an Iraqi national and alleged senior member of Kata’ib Hizballah, in a major terrorism case linked to Iranian-backed networks. Al-Saadi, 32, is accused of acting as an operative for Kata’ib Hizballah and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), both designated by the US as foreign terrorist organisations. Prosecutors allege he was involved in almost 20 atta

OpusDatum
May 152 min read


FinCEN Targets IRGC Oil Laundering Networks
FinCEN’s 11 May 2026 Alert signals a renewed enforcement focus on Iran-linked illicit finance, with particular attention on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), its oil smuggling networks and the financial infrastructure used to move proceeds through the international system. The Alert is significant because it connects several core risk areas: shadow fleet activity, front company abuse, exchange house networks, money services businesses, trust and company service pr

OpusDatum
May 111 min read


US Moves to Seize $15M Linked to Iranian Oil Sanctions Evasion Network
The United States has filed civil forfeiture complaints seeking the seizure of more than $15.3 million allegedly linked to an illicit Iranian oil shipping and distribution network operating in violation of US sanctions. The Department of Justice (DOJ) alleges the funds were used to support a sanctions evasion scheme tied to Iran’s National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including the IRGC-Quds Force (IRGC-QF), both designated Fore

OpusDatum
Mar 62 min read


FATF Updates Grey List & Reinforces Countermeasures on Iran
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has updated its global lists of jurisdictions with strategic deficiencies in anti-money laundering, combating the financing of terrorism and counter-proliferation finance (AML/CFT/CPF), prompting the U.S Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) to alert financial institutions to the changes. Following its February plenary meeting, FATF added Kuwait and Papua New Guinea to its list of jurisdictions under

OpusDatum
Mar 62 min read


US Targets Ghost Tanker in Iran & Venezuela Oil Sanctions Case
The US Department of Justice (DoJ) has filed a civil forfeiture complaint seeking the seizure of a crude oil tanker and approximately 1.8 million barrels of oil allegedly connected to sanctions evasion involving Iran and Venezuela. The complaint, filed in the US District Court for the District of Columbia, targets the motor tanker Skipper , which was seized on the high seas in December 2025. Authorities also seek forfeiture of the cargo on board, consisting of crude oil suppl

OpusDatum
Mar 22 min read


Treasury Moves to Cut Off MBaer From US Financial System
The US Department of the Treasury has moved to sever Swiss lender MBaer Merchant Bank AG from the US financial system, citing its alleged role in facilitating illicit finance linked to Iran and Russia. In a notice of proposed rulemaking published on 26 February 2026, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) set out plans that would prohibit covered US financial institutions from opening or maintaining correspondent accounts for, or on behalf of, MBaer. The proposed a

OpusDatum
Feb 272 min read


FinCEN Identifies $9 Billion in Iranian Shadow Banking Activity During 2024
The United States Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) has released a new Financial Trend Analysis (FTA) revealing around 9 billion dollars in potential Iranian shadow banking activity that passed through US correspondent accounts in 2024. The findings, based on reports from US financial institutions, underscore the scale and sophistication of Tehran’s global sanctions evasion operations. According to FinCEN, Iran’s shadow banking network

OpusDatum
Oct 23, 20252 min read


Foreign National Sentenced for Violating US Sanctions by Exporting Heavy Machinery to Iran
A Lebanese national has been sentenced to 44 months in prison for conspiring to export US-made drill rigs to Iran in violation of US...

OpusDatum
Jul 21, 20252 min read


CEO of Iranian Engineering Firm Arrested for Illegally Exporting Sophisticated Electronics to Iran in Violation of US Sanctions
The CEO of a Tehran-based engineering company has been arrested in the United States on allegations of orchestrating a covert export...

OpusDatum
Jul 11, 20252 min read


United States Targets Iran’s Shadow Banking Network in Sweeping Sanctions Blitz
In a coordinated move to counter Iran’s growing use of illicit financial infrastructure, the United States Treasury has unleashed a...

OpusDatum
Jun 6, 20253 min read


US Files Civil Forfeiture Complaint in Iranian Oil Sanctions Case
In a major enforcement action targeting sanctions violations, the US has filed a civil forfeiture complaint in the District Court for the...

OpusDatum
Apr 29, 20252 min read


US Targets Iranian Drone Supply Chain with Sanctions and Criminal Charges
In a significant escalation of efforts to dismantle Iran’s illicit weapons procurement networks, the United States has unsealed a...

OpusDatum
Apr 1, 20252 min read
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