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Viewing cable 08STATE29398, PRESENTATION OF FINCEN ADVISORY ON IRAN-RELATED

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
08STATE29398 2008-03-20 20:23 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED Secretary of State
VZCZCXRO0831
OO RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHDIR RUEHKUK
DE RUEHC #9398/01 0802028
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 202023Z MAR 08
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 1048
INFO IRAN COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 STATE 029398 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KNNP IR PREL PARM
SUBJECT: PRESENTATION OF FINCEN ADVISORY ON IRAN-RELATED 
BUSINESS TO UNSC IRAN SANCTIONS COMMITTEE 
 
1.  (U)  This is an action request.  Please see paragraph 3. 
 
------- 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
2.  (U)    In response to United Nations Security Council 
Resolution 1803 and the Financial Action Task Force's 
February 2008 statement on the deficiencies of Iran's 
anti-money laundering and combating terrorist financing 
(AML/CFT) regime, the U.S. Treasury Department Financial 
Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued an advisory on 
March 20 to U.S. financial institutions on the risks to the 
international financial system arising from the these 
deficiencies.  The advisory urges all financial institutions 
to take into account the risk arising from the deficiencies 
in Iran's AML/CFT regime, as well as all applicable U.S. and 
international sanctions programs, with regard to any possible 
transactions with Iranian financial institutions provided in 
the advisory. 
 
---------- 
OBJECTIVES 
---------- 
 
3.  (U)  Washington requests that Mission present the FinCEN 
advisory contained in paragraph 4 to the UNSC Iran Sanctions 
Committee.  The Mission may also draw on paragraph two in 
delivering the advisory.  USUN is authorized to permit the 
Committee to share this document with other UN Members 
outside of the committee and to post to its own website. 
 
-------------------- 
TEXT OF U.S ADVISORY 
-------------------- 
 
4.  (U)  The following Treasury Financial Crimes Enforcement 
Network (FinCEN) advisory was issued to U.S. financial 
institutions on March 20, it is also available at: 
www.fincen.gov/fin-2008-a002.pdf. 
 
 
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) is issuing 
this advisory to supplement information previously provided 
on serious deficiencies present in the anti-money laundering 
systems of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Financial Action 
Task Force (FATF) stated in October 2007 that Iran's lack of 
a comprehensive anti-money laundering and combating the 
financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) regime represents a 
significant vulnerability in the international financial 
system. In response to the FATF statement, Iran passed its 
first AML law in February 2008. The FATF, however, reiterated 
its concern about continuing deficiencies in Iran's AML/CFT 
system in a statement on February 28, 2008. Further, on March 
3, 2008, the United Nations Security Council passed 
Resolution 1803 (UNSCR 1803), calling on all states to 
exercise vigilance over activities of financial institutions 
in their territories with all banks domiciled in Iran and 
their branches and subsidiaries abroad. The FATF statement, 
combined with the UN's 
specific call for vigilance, illustrates the increasing risk 
to the international financial system posed by the Iranian 
financial sector, including the Central Bank of Iran. 
 
Iran's AML/CFT deficiencies are exacerbated by the Government 
of Iran's continued attempts to conduct prohibited 
proliferation related activity and terrorist financing. 
Through state-owned banks, the Government of Iran disguises 
its involvement in proliferation and terrorism activities 
through an array of deceptive practices specifically designed 
to evade detection. The Central Bank of Iran and Iranian 
commercial banks have requested that their names be removed 
from global transactions in order to make it more difficult 
for intermediary financial institutions to determine the true 
parties in the transaction. They have also continued to 
provide financial services to Iranian entities designated by 
the UN Security Council in its Resolutions 1737 and 1747. The 
U.S. Department of the Treasury is particularly concerned 
that the Central Bank of Iran may be facilitating 
transactions for sanctioned Iranian banks. 
 
UNSCR 1803 calls on member states to exercise vigilance over 
the activities of financial institutions in their territories 
with all banks domiciled in Iran, and their branches and 
subsidiaries abroad. While Bank Melli and Bank Saderat were 
specifically noted, the United States urges all financial 
institutions to take into account the risk arising from the 
 
STATE 00029398  002 OF 003 
 
 
deficiencies in Iran's AML/CFT regime, as well as all 
applicable U.S. and international sanctions programs, with 
regard to any possible transactions with the following 
Iranian institutions: 
 
AGRICULTURAL BANK (a.k.a. BANK KESHAVARZI) 
Tehran, Iran 
AGRICULTURAL COOPERATIVE BANK OF IRAN (a.k.a. BANK TAAVON 
KESHAVARZI IRAN) 
Tehran, Iran 
AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT BANK OF IRAN (a.k.a. BANK JOSIAIYI 
KESHAHVARZI) 
Tehran, Iran 
ARIAN BANK (a.k.a. ARYAN BANK) 
Kabul, Afghanistan 
BANCO INTERNACIONAL DE DESARROLLO SA 
Caracas, Venezuela 
BANK KARGOSHAEE 
Tehran, Iran 
BANK MASKAN (a.k.a. HOUSING BANK (of Iran)) 
Tehran, Iran 
BANK MELLAT 
Tehran, Iran 
BANK MELLAT 
Seoul, South Korea 
BANK MELLAT 
Ankara, Istanbul, Izmir, Turkey 
BANK MELLI IRAN 
Tehran, Iran 
BANK MELLI IRAN 
Paris, France 
BANK MELLI IRAN 
Hamburg, Germany 
BANK MELLI IRAN 
Central, Hong Kong 
BANK MELLI IRAN 
Baghdad, Iraq 
BANK MELLI IRAN 
Muscat, Oman 
BANK MELLI IRAN 
Al Ain, Deira, Dubai City, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, and 
Sharjah, United Arab Emirates 
BANK MELLI IRAN ZAO 
Moscow, Russia 
BANK OF INDUSTRY AND MINE (of Iran) (a.k.a. BANK SANAD VA 
MADAN) 
Tehran, Iran 
BANK REFAH (f.k.a. WORKERS WELFARE BANK, f.k.a. BANK REFAH 
KARGARAN) 
Tehran, Iran 
BANK SADERAT IRAN 
Tehran, Iran 
BANK SADERAT 
Paris, France 
BANK SADERAT 
Frankfurt, Hamburg, Germany 
BANK SADERAT 
Athens, Greece 
BANK SADERAT 
Baalbak, Beirut, Saida, Lebanon 
BANK SADERAT 
Muscat, Oman 
BANK SADERAT 
Doha, Qatar 
BANK SADERAT 
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan 
BANK SADERAT 
Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Al Ain, Dubai City, Sharjah, United Arab 
Emirates 
BANK SADERAT PLC 
London, United Kingdom 
BANK SADERAT TASHKENT 
Tashkent, Uzbekistan 
BANK SEPAH 
Tehran, Iran 
BANK SEPAH 
Paris, France 
BANK SEPAH 
Frankfurt, Germany 
BANK SEPAH 
Rome, Italy 
BANK SEPAH INTERNATIONAL PLC 
London, United Kingdom 
BANK TEJARAT 
Tehran, Iran 
BANK TEJARAT 
Paris, France 
BANK TEJARAT 
Dushanbe, Tajikistan 
THE CENTRAL BANK OF IRAN (a.k.a. BANK MARKAZI JOMHOURI ISLAMI 
IRAN) 
Tehran, Iran 
 
STATE 00029398  003 OF 003 
 
 
EUROPAEISCH-IRANISCHE HANDELSBANK AG (f.k.a. 
DEUTSCH-IRANISCHE HANDELSBANK AG) 
Hamburg, Germany 
EUROPAEISCH-IRANISCHE HANDELSBANK AG (f.k.a. 
DEUTSCH-IRANISCHE HANDELSBANK AG) 
Tehran, Iran 
EXPORT DEVELOPMENT BANK OF IRAN (a.k.a. BANK TOWSEH SADERAT 
IRAN) 
Tehran, Iran 
FUTURE BANK B.S.C. 
Manama, Bahrain 
IRAN OVERSEAS INVESTMENT BANK PLC (a.k.a. IRAN OVERSEAS 
INVESTMENT CORPORATION LIMITED) 
London, United Kingdom 
KARGOZARI BANK TEJARAT 
Tehran, Iran 
MELLAT BANK DB AOZT (a.k.a. MELLAT BANK S/B CJSC) 
Yerevan, Armenia 
MELLAT BANK S/B CJSC (a.k.a. MELLAT BANK DB AOZT) 
Yerevan, Armenia 
MELLI BANK PLC. 
London, United Kingdom 
PERSIA INTERNATIONAL BANK PLC. 
London, United Kingdom 
PERSIA INTERNATIONAL BANK PLC. 
Dubai City, United Arab Emirates 
 
Privately Owned Iranian Financial Institutions 
BANK PASARGAD 
Tehran, Iran 
EN BANK PJSC (a.k.a. EGHTESAD-E-NOVIN BANK) 
Tehran, Iran 
KARAFARIN BANK 
Tehran, Iran 
PARSIAN BANK 
Tehran, Iran 
POST BANK OF IRAN 
Tehran, Iran 
SAMAN BANK CORPORATION 
Tehran, Iran 
BANK SARMAYE 
Tehran, Iran 
 
Financial institutions also are reminded of the existing U.S. 
sanctions that are administered by the Department of the 
Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) with 
respect to Iran and the Government of Iran, including but not 
limited to Iranian Government-owned banks, as well as other 
sanctions imposed on Iranian entities that have been linked 
to terrorist activity and the proliferation of weapons of 
mass destruction. Information about these sanctions is 
available on OFAC's website at 
http://www.treasury.gov/offices/enforcement/o fac/. 
 
------------------ 
REPORTING DEADLINE 
------------------ 
 
5.  (U)  Mission should provided a readout within seven (7) 
business days of receipt of this cable.  Please slug replies 
for ISN, IO, T, TREASURY, and NEA/IR.  Please include SIPDIS 
in all replies. 
 
---------------- 
POINT OF CONTACT 
---------------- 
 
6.   (U)  Washington point of contact for follow-up 
information is Kevin McGeehan, ISN/CPI, (202) 647-5408, 
McGeehanKJ@state.sgov.gov. 
 
7. (U)  Department thanks the Mission for its assistance. 
RICE