Washington, November 2026 : US President Donald Trump has said that Washington is holding discussions with Iran, even as his administration announced sanctions against eight Canada-based businesses accused of facilitating Tehran's international financial transactions through cryptocurrency networks.
Speaking to reporters before leaving the White House, Trump confirmed that diplomatic contacts with Iran were continuing. "We're talking to Iran. We have been," he said.
The US President also described the military situation as favourable to Washington, claiming that the United States had achieved significant success against Iran. Referring to the Strait of Hormuz, he said the strategic waterway was opening.
"We've beaten Iran. We are doing very well with Iran," Trump said, combining his claims of military success with an indication that diplomatic engagement remained underway.
His remarks coincided with an announcement by the US Treasury Department imposing sanctions on eight Canadian money services businesses under an initiative called Operation Economic Outcast.
According to the Treasury Department, the designated companies allegedly exchanged Iranian rials and other currencies for digital assets, enabling international financial transactions involving Iran. Several were also accused of dealing with sanctioned Iranian cryptocurrency exchanges or digital addresses linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The operation was coordinated with Canada's financial intelligence unit, the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC), the US Financial Crimes Enforcement Network and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
The Treasury Department said the action was part of Washington's efforts to disrupt financial networks that allegedly generate revenue for Iran's weapons programmes and support its regional activities.
State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the United States would continue targeting financial channels that it believes support Iran's military capabilities and regional proxies. He added that cooperation with Canada was aimed at protecting the North American financial system.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the department would pursue Iranian financial networks wherever they operated, signalling Washington's intention to maintain pressure on Tehran's international financial activities.
The Treasury Department also alleged that several of the businesses had handled drug-related proceeds connected to Ryan Wedding, a former Canadian Olympic snowboarder. However, the sanctions announcement did not include responses from the companies to the allegations.
The measures freeze any property belonging to the designated entities that falls within US jurisdiction. They also generally prohibit US individuals and organisations from conducting transactions with them, unless specifically authorised or exempted.
The Treasury announcement did not establish any connection between the sanctions and the diplomatic contacts mentioned by Trump. It also did not describe the measures as part of any negotiated arrangement with Iran.
The sanctions are administrative restrictions and do not, by themselves, amount to criminal convictions against the designated businesses.
(Disclaimer :The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
