Iran has announced it will continue its fight to get off the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) blacklist despite facing "20 years of obstruction" from inside the country. The FATF, a global group combating money laundering and terrorism financing, renewed Iran's blacklisting recently. Iran now remains on the list with only North Korea and Myanmar. The watchdog increased measures focusing especially on virtual asset service providers and cryptocurrencies. It urged countries worldwide to limit or block banking ties and virtual asset dealings with Iran, even recommending strict checks on humanitarian and diplomatic fund flows. Since October 2019, Iran has faced heightened scrutiny, making international transactions tough for its banks and people. The increased FATF actions may further tighten Iran's financial isolation, hurting its economy and currency value. FATF’s concerns tie closely to Iran’s nuclear program and sanctions by the UN Security Council. Iran signed a nuclear deal in 2015 but faced a U.S. withdrawal in 2018 under President Trump, which hardened sanctions and empowered Iran's hardliners who oppose FATF compliance. These groups argue that following FATF rules fully could harm Iran’s support for groups in Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, and Palestine, and expose ways Iran evades sanctions. Two FATF-related laws passed by Iran carried special conditions rejecting Israel's legitimacy and limiting cooperation with the international court, which FATF did not accept, causing more sanctions. Despite these hurdles, Iran’s financial unit insists on pressing efforts to remove Iran from the blacklist and improve international ties.