U.S. imposes new sanctions on Iran in the railway and automotive sectors

The United States has announced a new round of sanctions on Iran, targeting the automotive and railway sectors, as well as a Russia-linked financial network, the U.S. Treasury Department announced on Thursday.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the measures target individuals and entities that, according to Washington, enable Iran to secure revenue and evade international sanctions.

The sanctions list includes two of Iran’s largest car manufacturers, Iran Khodro and SAIPA, together with several of their subsidiaries.

The sanctions also hit the state-owned Islamic Republic of Iran Railways Company, as well as two other companies in the railway sector.

The Treasury Department also added Iran’s automotive and railway sectors to the sectoral sanctions framework, giving the U.S. the ability to take measures against entities and individuals operating in these industries.

Separately, U.S. authorities designated the A7 Network as a “significant transnational criminal organisation”. According to the Treasury Department, the Russia-linked network has been used by Iran to evade sanctions and has processed more than $17 billion through its sub-agents from January 2025 to June 2026.