Banks Still Doing Business in Tehran

DEBKAfile Reports: An Iranian organization (Hizballah's Friends) declares every American a “terrorist” after Washington unveils a new package of extra-tough sanctions Thursday

October 25, 2007, 11:55 AM (GMT+02:00)

The package was announced jointly by secretary of state Condoleezza Rice and treasury secretary Henry Paulson and include branding Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps proliferators of weapons of mass destruction and the al Qods Brigade sponsor of terrorists. These steps are unprecedented. DEBKAfile’s Iranian sources recall that the Islamic regime announced in advance that approval of these measures would be deemed tantamount to an American declaration of war on Iran and call forth retaliation. Tehran would target US interests in the Persian Gulf, Iraq and Afghanistan or Israel by means of Special Groups, i.e. Iran’s foreign intelligence networks, Hizballah or Hamas.

DEBKAfile’s sources reveal that these reprisals may be delayed some days because Iran's leadership is in the throes of a profound power struggle between hardliners and pragmatists. However, since the supreme ruler, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is commander-in-chief of Iran’s armed forces, including the IRGC and its al Qods Brigade, Tehran cannot afford to let Washington’s accusations go unanswered.

The new sanctions package includes US financial penalties for any world firms trading with the Revolutionary Guards. They would apply to more than 1,000 companies in Europe, the Middle East, the Persian Gulf and Asia. Our Iranian sources note that since IRGC-owned companies control more than 35 percent of Iran’s economic activities, the new sanctions will have a crippling effect on its national economy. This is already hard hit by Washington’s systematic blockage of Iran’s dealings with international banks, which has left Tehran seriously short of cash flow, foreign currency and basic commodities.

According to DEBKAfile’s sources, Iran very recently sent Indonesia an “emergency appeal” for gasoline and heavy oil, because it has run out of currency to pay for imported refined oil products. Tehran offered to reward Jakarta with a concession for building big new oil refineries, which Iran lacks. ( they are spending their money on nuke tech. )

Indonesia has not yet replied. Its government must take into account that no serious world oil enterprise would be willing to cooperate in a refinery project in Iran for fear of a backlash from the American boycott.

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Addendum -- Banks Still Doing Business in Tehran. After the 3rd round of sanctions.

Agricultural Bank of Iran (Bank-e Keshavarzi), Teheran;
ANZ Grindlays Bank, Teheran
Banca di Roma, Teheran;
Banca Nazionale del Lavoro, Teheran;
Banco Central Hispanoamericano, Teheran;
Bank Agricultural, Teheran;
Bank Center Iran, Teheran;
Bank Commerce, Teheran;
Bank e Sanat o Madan, Teheran;
Bank French Paysbas, Teheran;
Bank Fuji, Teheran;
Bank Iran Mashhad, Teheran;
Bank Markazi Jomhouri Islam, Teheran;
Bank Maskan, Teheran;
Bank Mellat, Teheran;
Bank Melli Iran, Teheran;
Bank of Industry and Mine (trading facility),Teheran;
Bank of Tokyo,Teheran;
Bank Ostan, Teheran;
Bank Refah Kargaran, Teheran;
Bank Saderat, Teheran;
Bank Sepah, Teheran;
Bank Sumitomo, Teheran;
Bank Tejarat, Teheran;
Bank Tokai, Teheran;
Berliner Bank, Teheran;
Credit Lyonnaise, Teheran;
Deutsche-Iranische Handelsbank, Teheran;
Deutsche Bank, Teheran;
Dresdner Bank, Teheran;
Europaeisch-Iranische Handelsbank, Teheran Export Development Bank of Iran (EDBI), Teheran;
ING Bank, Teheran;
Kredietbank, Teheran;
Lloyds Bank, Teheran;
Mitsubishi Bank, Teheran;
Pamok Bank, Teheran;
Swiss Bank Corporation, Teheran;
Representative office: Banca Commerciale Italiana, Teheran;
Commerzbank , Teheran
Link

OK Thats French, Italian, German, Japanese, Swiss and Great Britan Banks still working there.
ING is an American Bank isn't it?

G