Iran has banned the transfer or permission to use bank deposits and other payment instruments, mobile banking and internet banking services belonging to customers to third parties, under executive regulations of anti-money laundering (AML/CFT) legislation, Mashregh reported on July 2.

Iran previously passed AML/CFT bills, and the CFT bill has moved through several legislative stages of parliament, the process is not fully resolved. The FATF still considers Iran non-compliant, and the country remains blacklisted.

The transfer of deposits and banking payment instruments to others, particularly to foreign nationals or individuals engaged in unauthorised and non-transparent economic activities, can create serious risks for account holders and provide grounds for abuse in illegal processes including money laundering and financing suspicious activities.

Bank Maskan has requested all customers to refrain from making any banking instruments available to other individuals to protect personal interests and maintain the health of the country's financial system.

The change in banking rules comes as part of an overhaul of banking procedures in the Islamic Republic as the current administration seeks to meet international banking obligations as part of the AML/CFT banking laws implemented recently.

The Majlis (Iranian parliament) approved the CFT bill (International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism) in 2018, and it was also approved by the Guardian Council, but with reservations and ongoing disputes over certain provisions, unofficially about funding for groups like Hezbollah and the Houthis in Yemen.

 Due to disagreements between the Majlis and the Guardian Council, the CFT bill was sent to the Expediency Council for final arbitration.

In June 2025, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) lists Iran as a “high-risk jurisdiction subject to a call for action” (commonly referred to as “blacklisting”).

The FATF noted that since February 2020, Iran has reported no material changes in the status of its action plan, and the call to apply countermeasures remains in effect.