This regulatory amendment does two things. First, it amends the ITSR to reflect the re-imposition of ITSR-related sanctions lifted under the JCPOA, including sanctions pursuant to certain sections of E.O. 13846 and the relisting on the SDN List of persons included on the E.O. 13599 List. More specifically, this rule reinstates the regulatory provisions implementing the blocking authorities that were previously in sections 5 and 6 of E.O. 13622 and now are in sections 1 and 10 of E.O. 13846. Section 560.211(c) of the ITSR will now implement blocking of the property and interests in property of any person determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, to have (i) on or after August 7, 2018, materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services in support of, the purchase or acquisition of U.S. bank notes or precious metals by the Government of Iran, or (ii) on or after November 5, 2018, materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services in support of, the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), the Naftiran Intertrade Company (NICO), or the Central Bank of Iran. Additionally, this rule removes references to the E.O. 13599 List to reflect OFAC’s separate action removing the E.O. 13599 List from its website and relisting on the SDN List the persons that were previously listed on the E.O. 13599 List.
Second, the rule amends an existing general license in the ITSR to allow individual U.S. persons to engage in transactions necessary to sell certain personal property in Iran (which was acquired before becoming a U.S. person or which was inherited from persons in Iran) and to transfer the proceeds of those sales to the United States. Section 560.543 of the ITSR currently authorizes individual U.S. persons to engage in transactions necessary for the sale of real property in Iran and the transfer of related proceeds to the United States, subject to a number of conditions and limitations. Authorized transactions include engaging the services of any persons in Iran necessary for the sale, such as an attorney, funds agent, or real estate broker, provided such person is not a person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to any part of 31 CFR chapter V, other than persons whose property and interests in property are blocked solely pursuant to Executive Order 13599 as the Government of Iran. OFAC is amending section 560.543 of the ITSR to authorize the sale of personal property in Iran and the transfer of related proceeds to the United States, subject to the same conditions and limitations applicable to sales of real property.
Section 560.543 of the ITSR, as amended, does not authorize transactions that would be prohibited by a different sanctions program administered by OFAC, such as transactions with SDNs designated under E.O. 13224 or E.O. 13382 (OFAC's counterterrorism or counterproliferation authorities).