They need to be removed blacklist in order to remain connected with the international banking system and continue to trade with Europe and China, something that is especially important after the hammering that the Iranian economy has taken from renewed US sanctions.

The US sanctions came into play after Donald Trump pulled out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in May, but Iran is still currently benefitting from trade with the European Union countries, Russia and China, who have stuck with the deal.

However, there is great debate among the warring factions in the Iranian Regime about whether they should be seen to comply with anti-terrorism efforts at all.

The Iranian government sent four pieces of legislation to parliament regarding banking transparency; including amending the country’s anti-money laundering/counter-terrorism financing law in accordance with FATF standards and joining the UN Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime and the International Convention for the Suppression of Financing of Terrorism.

Three laws were passed in Parliament and sent to the Guardian Council, appointed by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, for approval. The Guardian Council rejected the counter-terrorism financing law, citing that it did not comply with Iran’s Sharia law, while Khamenei also criticized it and urged the Parliament to work on other bills.

It is generally the factions that publically opposed the nuclear deal to begin with that oppose complying with FATF criteria, but to be clear, Iran’s decisions are all ultimately made by Khamenei, regardless of what others may say and the rest of the mullahs fall in line. Supposedly, Khamenei has given the FAFT bill a yellow light, as he did with the JCPOA, which gives him the power to claim the credit if it works out or distance himself if it doesn’t.

FATF’s Secretary of Executive Affairs David Lewis said that there was no guarantee that Iran would be removed from the blacklist, although countermeasures against Iran have been suspended since the JCPOA was reached. After all, the Iranian Regime and FAFT disagree on the funding of terrorist organizations – Iran is the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism and currently proposed up terrorist groups across the Middle East.