Treasury sanctions new names on Specially Designated Nationals list

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has added one or more persons and vessels to its Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List (SDN List), freezing all property and interests in property subject to U.S. jurisdiction and barring U.S. persons from engaging in transactions with them. The action was issued on August 24, 2026 and published in the Federal Register of Friday, August 28, 2026 (Vol. 91, No. 166, Notices section, p. 55671).

The notice, signed by Bradley T. Smith, Director of OFAC, also places vessels on the SDN List that have been identified as property in which a blocked person holds an interest, and publishes updates to the identifying information of one person already on the list.

Legal basis and scope

OFAC acts under the authority of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and related executive orders, determining that the designated persons and vessels meet one or more applicable legal criteria for sanctions. The effect is immediate: all U.S.-jurisdiction property of the listed parties is blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from dealing with them.

The vessels added to the list are treated as property in which a blocked person has an interest, extending the freeze to the assets themselves.

What the designation means

• All property and interests in property subject to U.S. jurisdiction of the designated persons are blocked.
• U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with the listed parties.
• Vessels placed on the SDN List are identified as property in which a blocked person has an interest.
• OFAC also published updates to the identifying information of one person already included on the list.

Availability and contact

The SDN List and additional information on OFAC sanctions programs are available on OFAC’s website at ofac.treasury.gov. Inquiries may be directed to OFAC’s Associate Director for Global Targeting, Assistant Director for Licensing, and Assistant Director for Sanctions Compliance.

For U.S. financial institutions, exporters, and companies with international operations, the designation carries immediate compliance obligations: any U.S.-jurisdiction assets of the listed parties must be blocked and reported, and transactions with them are prohibited. The update to the identifying information of an existing designee also serves as a reminder that the SDN List is continuously maintained, and that screening against the current list is essential to avoid sanctions violations.

Source: Federal Register, Vol. 91, No. 166, Friday, August 28, 2026, Notices section, p. 55671 (official reference: FR Doc. 2026-17613).