OFAC ends five Iran licence authorisations from 24 August

The US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) indefinitely stayed five Iran-related general licenses, ending authorization for covered transactions from 24 August 2026. The measure appears in a Federal Register final rule and stay of effectiveness published on 26 August.

The rule affects three provisions in 31 CFR part 560 and Iran General Licenses F and G. It is a licensing measure, not an enforcement action or an adjudicated finding against a person or organisation.

The 24 August cutoff

The stayed provisions are §§ 560.544, 560.550 and 560.554. They covered certain educational activities by US persons in third countries, certain noncommercial personal remittances to or from Iran, and the importation or exportation of services related to conferences in the US or third countries.

OFAC said transactions within those categories were no longer authorised under the provisions as of 24 August 2026. The notice does not provide a general transition period.

OFAC also stayed General License F, published at 79 FR 11180, and General License G, published at 79 FR 49157. General License F covered certain services supporting professional and amateur sports activities and exchanges involving the US and Iran. General License G covered certain academic exchanges and the exportation or importation of certain educational services.

The Federal Register notice was published on 26 August, after the measure’s effective date.

What the rule changes

For affected persons, service providers and counterparties, the immediate issue is whether a transaction relied on one of the five stayed authorisations. Transactions in the specified educational, remittance, conference, sports or academic-exchange categories cannot be treated as authorised under those licences after 24 August.

Teams reviewing an affected transaction must establish whether it was completed before that date and whether it fell within the relevant licence. The notice does not resolve how every transaction should be assessed on its facts, and it does not create a separate finding of liability.

OFAC said the suspensions align the licences with changes in US foreign policy towards Iran. Its explanation referred to Iran’s disruptions to global energy markets, attacks on partners and allies in the Middle East, reconstitution of conventional and nuclear weapons programmes, efforts to monetise the Strait of Hormuz and continued support for terrorist proxies.

Those statements provide OFAC’s rationale for the rule. They do not convert the suspension into an adjudicated enforcement finding.

OFAC also said the foreign-affairs function made the usual notice-and-comment and delayed-effective-date requirements under the Administrative Procedure Act inapplicable. The final rule therefore took effect on 24 August, while publication followed on 26 August.

The notice identifies no further response or implementation milestone. The official record to monitor is Federal Register document 2026-17426, together with any later OFAC guidance on transactions completed before 24 August or outside the five licences’ scope.