John K. Hurley

Force in Play

Leading Treasury’s sanctions and illicit-finance pressure campaign on Iran

Treasury's December 2025 shadow fleet designations were the opening move in a campaign that escalated into war. The U.S. and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury on February 28, 2026, hitting Iran's nuclear facilities and military infrastructure; Treasury ran a parallel Economic Fury financial campaign through spring 2026. On June 17, Trump and Pezeshkian signed the Islamabad Memorandum, and OFAC issued General License X five days later, authorizing Iranian oil transactions through August 21.

Updated Jul 17

Rule Changes

Resigned February 25, 2026; potential ambassadorship discussions ongoing

John Hurley served eight months as the Treasury Department's chief sanctions enforcer before resigning amid friction with Secretary Scott Bessent. His February 25 departure followed months of internal clashes over sanctions aggressiveness and a specific dispute regarding federal surveillance of financial transactions involving Minnesota's Somali community, to which Hurley objected on data-privacy grounds.

Updated May 29