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Financial watchdog worries Iranian hard-liners

Fierce criticism of engagement with the Financial Action Task Force rages on in Iran, but the government is holding firm with the support of several political heavyweights.
Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati (R), a candidate for the upcoming vote on the Assembly of Experts, and Iran's former chief negotiator Saeed Jalili attend a conservatives election campaign gathering in Tehran February 24, 2016. The campaign gathering was titled "No to UK Meddling". REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi/TIMA  ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY.   - RTX28EQJ

TEHRAN, Iran — The Iranian government’s efforts to get off the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) blacklist is spurring attacks against President Hassan Rouhani by primarily conservative forces. Given the agreement to adhere to FATF guidelines, critics say many institutions such as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Intelligence and universities such as Sharif University of Technology will effectively be sanctioned by Iranian banks.

They also point out that Iran will have to hand over sensitive banking information about Iranian institutions and individuals to FATF, thus putting the country’s security at risk. These attacks were intensified following a Sept. 2 report in hard-line Kayhan daily that featured images of two letters showing that Iranian banks had refused to provide banking services to IRGC-linked organizations.

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