260. What is a SPECIAL PURPOSE ACCOUNT for purposes of the National Defense Authorization Act's (NDAA) significant reduction exception?

A SPECIAL PURPOSE ACCOUNT is an account set up with conditions and safeguards that require the account to be used only for bilateral trade in goods or services between Iran and the country with primary jurisdiction over the FFI, and for sales made under the Humanitarian Exception (see FAQ 265). Funds paid as a result of bilateral trade under the NDAA’s significant reduction exception may be transferred to a SPECIAL PURPOSE ACCOUNT, so long as the account is at the same FFI that facilitated or conducted the original transaction, in the country with primary jurisdiction over the FFI.