[The U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctions eight companies in Canada related to Iran] On November 7, the U.S. Department of the Treasury issued an announcement on the 6th that its subordinate Office of Foreign Assets Control had imposed sanctions on eight financial services companies in Canada to increase economic pressure on Iran. The U.S. Treasury Department accused these companies of helping the Iranian government and sanctioned entities related to the Iranian government to transfer assets into or out of Iran. The U.S. Treasury Department said these companies facilitated the exchange of Iranian rial and other currencies and digital assets, thereby supporting international trade in which Iran participates. According to the announcement, the properties and interests of these eight companies located in the United States and owned and controlled by American individuals or entities will be frozen. Entities in which these eight companies directly or indirectly own 50% or more of the equity will also be frozen. Unless authorized or exempted, U.S. individuals and entities are prohibited from engaging in transactions related to sanctioned objects, and are prohibited from conducting related transactions within the United States.