Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on October 30, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleThe UK sanctioned Iranian banker Aliakbar Ansari for supporting Iran's Revolutionary Guards, imposing an asset freeze and travel ban.
LONDON (Reuters) -Britain sanctioned Iranian banker and businessman Aliakbar Ansari on Thursday, citing his role in financially supporting the activities of Iran's Revolutionary Guards as the reason for its action.
"Its (the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps') use of repression and targeted threats to carry out hostile acts, including here in the UK, is completely unacceptable," Britain's Middle East minister Hamish Falconer said in a statement.
"We will not tolerate threats from the IRGC and will not hesitate to take the most effective measures against them."
An update to the British government website showed that an asset freeze, director disqualification and travel ban were imposed on Ansari. Reuters could not immediately reach him for comment.
Ansari is a major shareholder in private lender Bank Ayandeh, which was dissolved last week by Iran's central bank due to longstanding debts and regulatory issues. It ran into financial difficulties after financing the construction of one of the world's largest malls in Tehran, known as Iran Mall.
He is the latest individual to be targeted by the British government, which last year sanctioned parts of the IRGC for enabling the work of Yemen's Houthis, and key Iranian military figures following Iran's missile and drone attack on Israel in April.
(Reporting by Muvija MEditing by Sarah Young and Gareth Jones)
An asset freeze is a legal measure that prevents an individual or entity from accessing or transferring their financial assets. It is often used in cases involving sanctions or investigations into illegal activities.
Sanctions are penalties or restrictions imposed by one country or group of countries on another country, organization, or individual to influence behavior, often related to national security or foreign policy.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is a branch of Iran's armed forces, established after the Iranian Revolution in 1979, tasked with protecting the country's Islamic system and maintaining internal security.
A travel ban is a restriction that prevents an individual from entering or leaving a country. It can be imposed for various reasons, including legal issues or national security concerns.
Director disqualification is a legal action that prevents an individual from serving as a director of a company for a specified period, often due to misconduct or failure to comply with regulations.
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