FATF
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FATF reaffirms DPRK, Iran and Myanmar on its call-for-action high-risk list
FATF's February 2026 statement reaffirms DPRK, Iran and Myanmar as call-for-action high-risk jurisdictions, confirming standing EDD and countermeasure expectations
Change
On 13 February 2026 the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) reaffirmed DPRK, Iran and Myanmar on its call-for-action list of high-risk jurisdictions, reiterating enhanced due diligence and, in the most serious cases, countermeasure expectations — including correspondent-relationship and transaction restrictions for DPRK and Iran.
Why it matters
FATF's February 2026 call-for-action statement restates the standing high-risk list (DPRK, Iran, Myanmar) with no addition, removal or re-tiering in the provided text. It reiterates enhanced due diligence for all three and the most serious countermeasures for DPRK (targeted-financial-sanctions implementation, correspondent-relationship termination, closure of DPRK bank branches and subsidiaries) and Iran (Recommendation 19 countermeasures across branches, representative offices, correspondent and business relationships, and transactions involving Iran-connected FIs and VASPs). These expectations are already embedded in member regimes; the statement's value is as confirmation of the live high-risk list for country-risk and screening reference, not a new obligation.
Implications
- — Sanctions-screening and country-risk teams can treat the statement as confirmation of the live FATF call-for-action list — DPRK, Iran and Myanmar — and verify their existing enhanced-due-diligence and countermeasure controls for these jurisdictions remain in force, since the list is unchanged in the provided statement rather than newly imposed.
- — Correspondent-banking and proliferation-financing teams with DPRK or Iran exposure can reconfirm that the standing countermeasures FATF reiterates — correspondent-relationship termination and DPRK branch/subsidiary closure, and Recommendation 19 restrictions on Iran-connected FIs and VASPs — are already reflected in their controls, treating any gap as a pre-existing compliance shortfall rather than a new requirement.
Who is affected
- — Sanctions, proliferation-financing and country-risk teams at financial institutions and VASPs with DPRK, Iran or Myanmar exposure
- — Correspondent-banking teams managing DPRK- and Iran-connected relationships