Executive Order 13599: Blocking Property of the Government of Iran and Iranian Financial Institutions
President: Barack Obama
Required US persons to freeze property of Iran’s government, central bank and Iranian financial institutions.
Status: In effect.
Is Executive Order 13599 still in effect? Yes. Active core Iran sanctions authority, with covered property still blocked whether or not the person is separately listed.
What does Executive Order 13599 do?
EO 13599 converted many Iran-related transactions from reject-only treatment into full blocking. It reaches the Government of Iran, the Central Bank of Iran and every Iranian financial institution as defined in the order, including qualifying entities that do not appear by name on OFAC’s lists. JCPOA implementation changed list presentation but did not lift this blocking rule for US persons; OFAC moved identified entities back to the SDN List in 2018.
Later evidence reviewed September 23, 2026: The Iran emergency and EO 13599 remain in force. Federal Register — 2026 Iran emergency continuation. Continuation of the national emergency is distinct from a new designation or a finding about a particular asset.
Before and after
Before the order
US persons generally rejected many prohibited Iran transactions rather than freezing the property involved.
After the order
Covered government and bank property entering US jurisdiction had to be blocked and reported.
Who had to do what
| Agency / office | Action | Timing / position |
|---|---|---|
| US persons | Block and report covered property | Continuing |
| OFAC | Issue licenses guidance and list information | Continuing |
| Financial institutions | Apply ownership and category-based screening | Continuing |
What happened next
EO 13599 issued.
JCPOA implementation changed some list treatment but retained US blocking.
OFAC moved identified EO 13599 persons back to the SDN List.
Legal and source detail
How it works legally
IEEPA, the National Emergencies Act and 31 CFR part 560 govern implementation. Statutory exemptions and OFAC general or specific licenses can authorize otherwise prohibited activity.
Sources by type
If a source is unavailable, first check the cited publisher or another official repository. The cited publisher remains the authority.
Primary and official sources
Orders, laws, court records and official implementation material.
- Treasury OFAC — FAQ 160 (opens in a new tab) Official record
- Treasury OFAC — FAQ 638 (opens in a new tab) Official record
How we checked this
Last checked against the sources above on September 23, 2026. How we research →