Turkiye’s Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BDDK) has revoked the operating licence of Iranian lender Bank Mellat’s Istanbul main branch after 44 years, as Washington intensifies economic pressure on Tehran.
– The BDDK decision, published in the Official Gazette on Saturday, did not directly link the move to US sanctions. It cited a provision allowing a licence to be withdrawn if continued operations pose a risk to depositors’ rights or the stability of the financial system.
– Bank Mellat remains on the US Treasury’s sanctions list, covering “all branches worldwide”, and is subject to secondary sanctions. Washington designated it in 2018, accusing it of providing financial support to Mehr Eqtesad Bank, which the US links to Iran’s Basij.
– Bank Mellat’s own 2025 financial report says the US sanctions led to its Turkish operation losing access to SWIFT and being removed from Turkiye’s electronic funds transfer system.
https://aje.news/lkvdtg?update=4963613