U.S. Intensifies Efforts to Track Iran’s Overseas Financial Flows

The U.S. Treasury Department has announced that it has intensified operations to identify and track financial flows associated with Iran’s assets being transferred abroad. In a statement released on Sunday, February 8, the department said the Iranian government has been transferring part of its financial resources outside the country in an effort to counter the effects of inflation and circumvent economic pressure. The announcement comes as the atmosphere surrounding negotiations between Tehran and Washington has been assessed as positive, with both sides preparing for a new round of talks. On the same day, Abdolrahim Mousavi, Chief of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces, stressed that despite Tehran’s “full defensive readiness,” Iran does not intend to initiate a regional war. He warned that any large-scale conflict could set back regional development for years. Earlier, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that the talks held with the U.S. side in Muscat were focused solely on the nuclear file and that their outcomes are still under review. Following the latest round of negotiations in the Sultanate of Oman, U.S. President Donald Trump described the talks as “very good” and announced that the two sides are expected to meet again early next week.