§561.203. NDAA-based sanctions on certain foreign financial institutions.
31 C.F.R. § 561.203
Imposition of— sanctions. Subject to the limitations, exceptions, and conditions set forth in paragraphs (d) through (k) of this section, upon a determination by the Secretary of the Treasury that a foreign financial institution has knowingly conducted or facilitated any significant financial transaction with the Central Bank of Iran or a designated Iranian financial institution, consistent with section 1245 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 (Pub. L. 112-81) (22 U.S.C. 8513a) (the “2012 NDAA”), as amended by the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 2012 (Pub. L. 112-158) (22 U.S.C. 8701-8795) (the “TRA”), the Secretary of the Treasury:
Will prohibit U.S. financial institutions from opening a correspondent account or a payable-through account in the United States for the foreign financial institution with respect to which the determination has been made; and either
Will prohibit U.S. financial institutions from maintaining a correspondent account or a payable-through account in the United States for the foreign financial institution with respect to which the determination has been made; or
Will impose one or more strict conditions on the maintaining of any correspondent account or payable-through account that had been opened in the United States for the foreign financial institution prior to the Secretary of the Treasury's determination with respect to the foreign financial institution.
Strict conditions. The strict conditions that might be imposed on the maintaining of a pre-existing correspondent account or payable-through account for a foreign financial institution pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)(ii) of this section include, but are not limited to, the following:
Prohibiting or restricting any provision of trade finance through the correspondent account or payable-through account of the foreign financial institution;
Restricting the transactions that may be processed through the correspondent account or payable-through account of the foreign financial institution to certain types of transactions, such as personal remittances;
Placing monetary limits on, or limiting the volume of, the transactions that may be processed through the correspondent account or payable-through account of the foreign financial institution;
Requiring pre-approval from the U.S. financial institution for all transactions processed through the correspondent account or payable-through account of the foreign financial institution; or
Prohibiting or restricting the processing of foreign exchange transactions through the correspondent account or payable-through account of the foreign financial institution.
Prohibitions.
Except as otherwise authorized pursuant to this part, a U.S. financial institution shall not open a correspondent account or payable-through account in the United States for a foreign financial institution for which the opening of such an account is prohibited pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) of this section.
Except as otherwise authorized pursuant to this part, a U.S. financial institution shall not maintain a correspondent account or payable-through account in the United States for a foreign financial institution for which the maintaining of such an account is prohibited pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)(i) of this section.
Except as otherwise authorized pursuant to this part, a U.S. financial institution shall not maintain a correspondent account or payable-through account in the United States for a foreign financial institution in a manner that is inconsistent with any strict condition imposed and in effect pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)(ii) of this section.
Privately owned— foreign financial institutions. (1) Subject to the exceptions set forth in paragraphs (g) and (i) through (k) of this section, sanctions may be imposed pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section beginning on February 29, 2012, with respect to any significant financial transaction conducted or facilitated by a privately owned foreign financial institution that is not for the purchase of petroleum or petroleum products from Iran.
Subject to the exceptions and conditions set forth in paragraphs (h) through (k) of this section, sanctions may be imposed pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section with respect to any significant financial transaction conducted or facilitated by a privately owned foreign financial institution on or after June 28, 2012, for the purchase of petroleum or petroleum products from Iran.
Government-owned or— -controlled foreign financial institutions, excluding foreign central banks. (1) Subject to the exceptions and conditions set forth in paragraphs (h) through (k) of this section, sanctions may be imposed pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section with respect to any significant financial transaction conducted or facilitated by a foreign financial institution owned or controlled by the government of a foreign country, excluding a central bank of a foreign country, on or after June 28, 2012, for the sale or purchase of petroleum or petroleum products to or from Iran.
Subject to the exceptions and conditions set forth in paragraphs (g) and (i) through (k) of this section, sanctions may be imposed pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section with respect to any significant financial transaction conducted or facilitated by a foreign financial institution owned or controlled by the government of a foreign country, excluding a central bank of a foreign country, on or after February 6, 2013, that is not for the sale or purchase of petroleum or petroleum products to or from Iran.
Foreign central— banks. Subject to the exceptions and conditions set forth in paragraphs (h) through (k) of this section, sanctions may be imposed pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section on a central bank of a foreign country only insofar as it engages in a financial transaction for the sale or purchase of petroleum or petroleum products to or from Iran conducted or facilitated on or after June 28, 2012.
Sanctions will not be imposed under paragraph (a) of this section with respect to any foreign financial institution for conducting or facilitating a transaction for the sale of agricultural commodities, food, medicine, or medical devices to Iran.
The Secretary of the Treasury may impose sanctions pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section with respect to any significant financial transaction conducted or facilitated by a foreign financial institution on or after June 28, 2012, for the purchase of petroleum or petroleum products from Iran only if the President determines, not later than March 30, 2012, and every 180 days thereafter, that there is a sufficient supply of petroleum and petroleum products from countries other than Iran to permit a significant reduction in petroleum and petroleum products purchased from Iran by or through foreign financial institutions. Such successive sufficiency determinations by the President shall render subject to sanctions under paragraph (a) of this section those financial transactions conducted or facilitated by a foreign financial institution for the purchase of petroleum or petroleum products from Iran during each successive 180-day period beginning 90 days after the President's determination.
Sanctions will not be imposed under paragraph (a) of this section with respect to a financial transaction described in paragraph (j) of this section that is conducted or facilitated by a foreign financial institution if, for the 180-day period during which the financial transaction is conducted or facilitated, the Secretary of State has determined and reported to Congress:
That the country with primary jurisdiction over the foreign financial institution has significantly reduced its crude oil purchases from Iran, thus qualifying for a “significant reduction exception” for the 180-day period during which the financial transaction is conducted or facilitated; or
That the country with primary jurisdiction over the foreign financial institution has received a significant reduction exception described in this paragraph in a previous period and, after receiving the exception, has reduced its crude oil purchases from Iran to zero during a subsequent 180-day reporting period.
A financial transaction conducted or facilitated by a foreign financial institution is described in this paragraph (j) if:
The financial transaction is only for trade in goods or services that either originate in the country with primary jurisdiction over the foreign financial institution and are exported and sold directly to Iran or originate in Iran and are exported and sold directly to the country with primary jurisdiction over the foreign financial institution;
Any funds owed to the country with primary jurisdiction over the foreign financial institution as a result of such trade are paid to:
Individuals who are citizens, nationals, or permanent residents of the country with primary jurisdiction over the foreign financial institution; or
Entities organized under the laws of the country with primary jurisdiction over the foreign financial institution that are not the Government of Iran, as defined in § 561.321;
Any funds owed to Iran as a result of such trade are subject to the terms and conditions set forth in paragraph (k) of this section; and
Funds owed as a result of such trade are not credited to an account held at any financial institution whose name appears on the List of Foreign Financial Institutions Subject to Correspondent Account or Payable-Through Account Sanctions (CAPTA List), which is maintained on the Office of Foreign Assets Control's Web site (https://ofac.treasury.gov).
In order for a transaction to qualify for the significant reduction exception from the sanctions imposed under paragraph (a) of this section described in paragraph (i), all funds owed to Iran as a result of a trade transaction described in paragraph (j)(1) of this section must be subject to the following conditions and restrictions:
The funds must be credited to an account held at a foreign financial institution that conducted or facilitated the trade transaction described in paragraph (j)(1) of this section;
The funds must be credited to an account held in the country with primary jurisdiction over that foreign financial institution;
The funds must be credited to an account held in the name of the Central Bank of Iran, the Iranian party to the trade transaction, or an Iranian financial institution that is not a designated Iranian financial institution;
Payments from the funds may be made only in the manner and to the persons specified in paragraph (k)(5) of this section for amounts owed to such persons for the direct exportation and sale to Iran of goods or services originating in the country with primary jurisdiction over the foreign financial institution holding the funds (but see Note 2 to § 561.203);
Payments from the funds for the goods or services exported and sold to Iran, as described in paragraph (k)(4) of this section, may be made only by check payable to or to the order of, or by transfer to an account at a foreign financial institution in the country with primary jurisdiction over the foreign financial institution holding the funds that is held in the name of:
Individuals who are citizens, nationals, or permanent residents of the country with primary jurisdiction over the foreign financial institution holding the funds; or
Entities that are organized under the laws of that country;
The funds may not be withdrawn in cash, remitted to Iran or paid to anyone that is the Government of Iran, as defined in § 561.321, or credited to an account held at a financial institution whose name appears on the CAPTA List (see paragraph (j)(4) of this section); and
Other than in payment for goods or services exported and sold to Iran as set forth in paragraphs (k)(4) through (k)(6) of this section, the funds may be transferred from the initial account described in paragraphs (k)(1) through (k)(3) of this section only to another account that is held at the same foreign financial institution, located in the country with primary jurisdiction over that foreign financial institution, and subject to the following conditions and restrictions:
The account must be a separate, special purpose account holding only funds owed to Iran as a result of trade transactions that qualify for the significant reduction exception described in paragraph (i) of this section and that are conducted or facilitated by the foreign financial institution holding the account; and
The conditions and restrictions on the funds owed to Iran set forth in paragraphs (k)(1) through (k)(6) of this section apply in full to the account described in this paragraph, except that the account must be held only in the name of the Central Bank of Iran or an Iranian financial institution that is not a designated Iranian financial institution.
Notes, amendments, and revision history
Amendments
[77 FR 11726, Feb. 27, 2012, as amended at 78 FR 16405, Mar. 15, 2013; 84 FR 9457, Mar. 15, 2019; 91 FR 46840, July 27, 2026]
Authority
Authority: 3 U.S.C. 301; 31 U.S.C. 321(b); 50 U.S.C. 1601-1651, 1701-1706; 22 U.S.C. 8501-8551, 8701-8795; Pub. L. 101-410, 104 Stat. 890, as amended (28 U.S.C. 2461 note); E.O. 12957, 60 FR 14615, 3 CFR, 1995 Comp., p. 332; E.O. 13553, 75 FR 60567, 3 CFR, 2010 Comp., p. 253; E.O. 13599, 77 FR 6659, 3 CFR, 2012 Comp., p. 215; E.O. 13846, 83 FR 38939, 3 CFR, 2018 Comp., p. 854; E.O. 13871, 84 FR 20761, 3 CFR, 2019 Comp., p. 309.
Source
Source: 77 FR 11726, Feb. 27, 2012, unless otherwise noted.
Amendments
[77 FR 11726, Feb. 27, 2012, as amended at 78 FR 16405, Mar. 15, 2013; 84 FR 9457, Mar. 15, 2019; 91 FR 46840, July 27, 2026]