Moscow – IranView24 – Friday -30 May
Hadi Khani, Secretary of the Supreme Council for the Prevention and Combating of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing, delivered a comprehensive report on Friday at the 42nd General Assembly of the Eurasian Group on Combating Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism (EAG), held in Moscow. In his address, he outlined Iran’s progress in developing intelligent and software-based infrastructures for handling Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs), as well as recent actions taken by Iranian law enforcement in fighting financial crimes.
Khani emphasized Iran’s ongoing efforts to share its experiences with regional and international counterparts, aiming to enhance awareness among friendly nations and provide FATF with a clearer understanding of Iran’s anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorism financing (CTF) measures.
He noted that Iran intends to broaden the scope of its engagement under the FATF Action Plan through close cooperation with the EAG, in line with national standards and internal considerations.
The head of Iran’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) also highlighted the country’s recent ratification of the Palermo Convention, positioning it as a key step toward the suspension of FATF’s countermeasures. “In line with international treaties and to facilitate the normalization of relations with FATF, the Islamic Republic of Iran has ratified the Palermo Convention, which has now entered into force through a presidential decree,” he said.
He added that the review process for the Countering the Financing of Terrorism (CFT) Convention and the amendment of domestic AML/CTF laws is currently underway. These reforms are aimed at aligning Iran’s regulatory infrastructure with global standards, all within the framework of the national constitution and legal system.
The Deputy Minister of Economy also conveyed Iran’s expectations from FATF, urging the organization to take a more constructive and differentiated view of the country’s progress, action plan updates, and other efforts in combating money laundering and terrorist financing. He called on FATF to take concrete steps towards building mutual trust and improving bilateral engagement.
Khani also appealed to allied and friendly member states of FATF, especially members of the EAG and the Middle East and North Africa FATF (MENAFATF), to strengthen cooperation with Iran based on fraternal and diplomatic ties. He reiterated Iran’s readiness to hold bilateral and multilateral meetings to further promote transparency and trust-building.
In a concluding note, Khani invited EAG and MENAFATF delegations to visit Iran and witness first-hand the country’s initiatives in the AML/CTF sphere. Such visits, he said, would help update their knowledge and enable a more accurate reassessment of Iran’s compliance with FATF recommendations and standards.
He expressed appreciation for the opportunity to present Iran’s efforts at the EAG assembly and thanked the group’s Secretariat and member states for their past and ongoing technical support and cooperation.
