US sanctions Russia-linked A7 payment network and Iranian firms for sanctions evasion
The U.S. Treasury Department on Thursday imposed sanctions on the A7 payment network, designating it a transnational criminal organization linked to Russia and led by Moldovan oligarch Ilan Shor, according to an announcement. The network, which the Treasury said processed over 17 billion dollars in transactions, used shell companies and falsified trade documents to conceal payments tied to sanctioned Russian and Iranian entities, including Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and Central Bank.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that the sanctions aim to dismantle financial infrastructure enabling sanctions evasion. “Treasury is dismantling the financial infrastructure that allows Iran and other adversaries to evade sanctions, move illicit funds, and undermine the integrity of the global financial system,” Bessent said .
The sanctions also target Iranian firms in the automotive, rail, and metallurgical sectors, which the U.S. accuses of supporting Iran’s regime and its destabilizing activities. As of January 2026, A7 claimed to process more than 2,000 transactions daily, with a total volume exceeding $91.5 billion—about 13% of Russia’s foreign trade in 2025 .
The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control blocked all U.S.-based assets of A7 and its subagents, prohibiting transactions without OFAC approval. The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network also proposed banning certain fund transfers involving A7’s subagents and issued an alert to financial institutions .
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