Regulatory Alerts2025-07-14 | 13735Preventive measures to protect the financial and economic sector in Lebanon from dealing with unlicensed entities subjected to sanctions issued by foreign authorities
The Governor of the Central Bank of Lebanon issued Decision No. 13735 on July 14, 2025, to protect Lebanon's financial and economic sector by prohibiting licensed banks, financial institutions, and investment entities from directly or indirectly dealing with unlicensed exchange houses, money transfer companies, and associations listed on international sanctions lists. The directive mandates compliance to prevent these unlicensed entities from acting as conduits for suspicious transactions that could trigger money laundering or terrorist financing exposures, thereby shielding correspondent banks from foreign sanctions and potential license suspensions. Non-compliance exposes violators to legal prosecution, account freezes, license revocation, and referral to the Special Investigation Commission, with immediate effect upon publication in the Official Gazette.