According to a report, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has ordered the closure of all international branches of Bank Melli, the financial arm of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The report also warns that European countries hosting the bank risk sanctions.
A report published Tuesday morning claims that US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has ordered the closure of all international branches of Bank Melli, the financial arm of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The report, which could not be independently confirmed, represents an escalation from Bessent's Monday evening ultimatum to Iran.
On Monday, Aug 24, at 20:18 Jerusalem, Bessent launched "Operation Economic Outcast," a global campaign to sever the Iranian regime's financial networks, as The Zioneer reported. He called for the closure of all Bank Melli branches, warned that countries maintaining economic ties with Tehran would be isolated, and urged Iran's armed forces to overthrow the regime. The Treasury also expanded secondary sanctions on entities trading with Iran, with Bessent declaring a "zero loopholes" policy.
The reported order would shift Washington from a threat to concrete action, potentially subjecting European nations hosting Bank Melli branches to US sanctions. The move is part of a broader campaign that has included sanctions on IRGC-linked crypto wallets and senior officials, as The Zioneer has previously documented.
As of Tuesday morning, the report remains unconfirmed by official US sources. The scale and timeline of the closure order, if verified, are unknown, and it is unclear how European host nations may respond.
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