U.S. Proposes Cutting Banque Misr UAE From Correspondent Banking

FinCEN proposed designating five Banque Misr branches in the United Arab Emirates as a primary money-laundering concern and cutting them off from U.S. correspondent banking. The agency said it identified 103 potential Iranian shadow-banking front companies that moved about $1.8 billion through the branches from January 2024 through June 2026, including roughly $520 million in the latest 12 months. U.S. financial institutions would be required to block correspondent accounts and take reasonable steps against indirect transactions involving the UAE branches. The proposal excludes Banque Misr operations in Egypt and other countries, and comments are due 30 days after Federal Register publication.