Story perspectives

U.S. Treasury Sanctions Chinese Firms, IRGC Officials, Offers $15M Reward

5/12/2026

Summary

Story summary

U.S. Treasury sanctioned Chinese-linked firms and IRGC officials before President Donald Trump’s Beijing summit, offering a $15 million reward for IRGC finance information.
On May 11 2026 OFAC named 12 entities—three IRGC officials (Ahmad Mohammadi Zadeh, Samad Fathi Salami, Mohammadreza Ashrafi Ghehi) and nine companies in Hong Kong, United Arab Emirates and Oman—moving Iranian oil to China.
Secretary Scott Bessent said the sanctions aim to cut funding for Iran’s weapons, nuclear program and proxies, building on July 2025 and May 8 sanctions.

History

Historical Context

In April 2019 the U.S. Treasury designated Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist organization, freezing about $2 billion in U.S.-linked assets and banning travel for 13 officials. Saudi Arabia had added the IRGC to its terror list in October 2018. Today OFAC’s new sanctions on twelve firms and three IRGC officials extend that pressure on Tehran’s oil revenue to China and its proxy network.

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Story summary

U.S. Treasury sanctioned Chinese-linked firms and IRGC officials before President Donald Trump’s Beijing summit, offering a $15 million reward for IRGC finance information.
On May 11 2026 OFAC named 12 entities—three IRGC officials (Ahmad Mohammadi Zadeh, Samad Fathi Salami, Mohammadreza Ashrafi Ghehi) and nine companies in Hong Kong, United Arab Emirates and Oman—moving Iranian oil to China.
Secretary Scott Bessent said the sanctions aim to cut funding for Iran’s weapons, nuclear program and proxies, building on July 2025 and May 8 sanctions.

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