Israel Labels Iran's Central Bank as Terror Entity Amid Rising Tensions
Israel has officially labelled Iran's Central Bank a terrorist entity, citing its alleged role in financing militant operations across the Middle East. The Israeli government declared that no institution linked to terrorism will be spared, marking a strategic push to undermine Iran's financial networks.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant signed the directive that also blacklists two additional Iranian banks—Shahr Bank and Mellat Bank—along with an energy firm affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Top executives from Sepehr Energy Jahan Company (SEJ) have also been sanctioned.
"The Central Bank of Iran isn't just a bank—it's a channel for terror financing," Gallant asserted. "We will strike where the regime feels it most."
Backed by Mossad and Israel's National Economic Warfare unit, this move targets what officials call the backbone of Iran's terror infrastructure. Israeli sources claim SEJ's revenue stream aids the IRGC and its regional allies, including Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthi rebels, and Shiite groups in Iraq.
Meanwhile, Iran executed three men it claims were working for Israeli intelligence. State media reported the accused were convicted of espionage and transporting gear used in targeted killings. While specifics remain unclear, the executions signal Tehran's intensified clampdown on suspected Israeli operatives. Nournews, an Iranian state-linked outlet, said around 700 people with alleged ties to Israel have also been detained recently.
These developments follow a tentative U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Iran, ending nearly two weeks of hostilities triggered by Israeli concerns over Iran's nuclear advancements. Israeli and U.S. forces had struck nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, sparking global concerns.
Though violations were alleged from both sides, former U.S. President Donald Trump, who helped mediate the truce, said it was still holding. "Israel will not attack Iran," he stated, noting Israeli jets had stood down as a sign of goodwill.
Declaring the sanctions, Gallant emphasized that Israel will continue to disrupt what he termed "Iran's axis of terror" and will not allow impunity.
This marks Israel's first designation of a sovereign nation's central bank as a terror body—deepening its economic warfare without open conflict.
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