The United States imposed sanctions on Ali Ansari, an Iranian resident in Dubai, accusing him of facilitating the embezzlement of public funds for the benefit of the Iranian regime's elite, foremost among them Mojtaba Khamenei, the new Supreme Leader.

Ansari established an external financial network that transferred wealth financed by public funds abroad.

The move came as part of Washington's response to attacks it attributed to Iran targeting ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz this week, reigniting tensions between the two countries despite a memorandum of understanding signed in June.

The US Treasury Department explained that Ansari established an external financial network that transferred wealth financed by public funds abroad, investing money in Germany, Luxembourg, Spain, the United Kingdom, Cyprus, and the UAE through a holding company in Saint Kitts and Nevis, stressing that a large part of these interests is effectively managed for the benefit of Mojtaba Khamenei, his family, the regime's elite, and the Revolutionary Guard.

The sanctions include freezing any assets of the target inside the United States, and preventing American companies and citizens from dealing with him under threat of similar sanctions. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent affirmed that the ministry will continue to isolate Mojtaba Khamenei and the regime's elite from the global financial system, considering that protecting these assets is "for the Iranian people."