OFAC Sanctioned Countries — Complete 2026 List

What Are OFAC Sanctioned Countries?

The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) — a division of the U.S. Department of the Treasury — administers more than 30 active sanctions programs targeting countries, regions, entities, and individuals worldwide. The OFAC sanctioned countries list 2026 falls into two broad categories:

• Comprehensive embargoes — broad prohibitions on virtually all transactions with the target country or region
• Targeted sanctions programs — restrictions focused on specific individuals (via the SDN List), economic sectors, or types of transactions

Understanding which countries are currently under OFAC sanctions is essential for businesses engaged in international trade, financial institutions processing cross-border payments, and any individual with professional or personal ties to these regions. Violations of OFAC regulations — even unintentional ones — can result in civil penalties — use our OFAC penalty calculator to assess your exposure — of up to $1,368,457 per violation (adjusted annually for inflation) or twice the transaction value, whichever is greater. Criminal violations can lead to fines up to $1 million and 20 years’ imprisonment.

Comprehensive OFAC Embargo Countries 2026

The following countries and regions are subject to comprehensive OFAC sanctions, meaning U.S. persons are prohibited from engaging in nearly all transactions with them — including trade, financial services, investment, and provision of services — without an OFAC license:

🇨🇺 Cuba

The U.S. embargo against Cuba is one of the longest-standing sanctions programs in history, established under the Cuban Assets Control Regulations (CACR) in 1963. Virtually all transactions between U.S. persons and Cuba — including imports, exports, financial transactions, travel-related services, and investment — are prohibited. Certain humanitarian exceptions exist for food, medicine, and educational materials.

Cuba was re-added to the U.S. State Department’s State Sponsors of Terrorism list in January 2021. While there have been periodic diplomatic discussions about further relaxation, as of 2026 the comprehensive embargo remains in full force. Companies must screen all Cuban counterparties, block Cuban assets, and apply for specific licenses from OFAC for any authorized dealings.

➡ Learn more about Cuba OFAC sanctions and licensing options

🇮🇷 Iran

Iran is subject to the most expansive U.S. sanctions program in terms of scope. The Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations (ITSR), first established in 1979 following the Islamic Revolution, prohibit virtually all U.S. trade, investment, and financial dealings with Iran. Key restrictions include:

• Prohibition on imports and exports of goods, services, and technology to/from Iran
• Ban on financial transactions with Iranian banks, government, and most entities
• Extensive secondary sanctions targeting non-U.S. persons who engage in significant transactions related to Iran’s oil, petrochemical, banking, and defense sectors
• Restrictions on correspondent banking relationships involving Iran

Iran’s secondary sanctions are particularly significant for international businesses: companies in Europe, Asia, and other regions can face OFAC enforcement actions even without any U.S. nexus if they conduct significant trade with Iran. As of 2026, negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program continue, but the primary sanctions architecture remains intact.

➡ Learn more about Iran OFAC sanctions and compliance

🇰🇵 North Korea (DPRK)

North Korea is subject to comprehensive OFAC sanctions under the North Korea Sanctions Regulations, dramatically expanded through multiple executive orders since 2008 and reinforced by the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). Virtually all trade, financial transactions, and travel by U.S. persons to or involving North Korea are prohibited.

OFAC’s North Korea sanctions target the country’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs, and include blocking of any assets in which the North Korean government or designated parties have an interest. North Korea is also subject to extensive UN Security Council sanctions, which are implemented in parallel by the EU and UK. In 2025-2026, OFAC has continued to designate entities and individuals facilitating North Korea’s sanctions evasion through cryptocurrency transactions and arms transfers.

🇸🇾 Syria

Syria has been under comprehensive U.S. sanctions since 2004 under the Syrian Sanctions Regulations, significantly expanded after the outbreak of civil war in 2011. Sanctions prohibit exports of U.S. goods and services to Syria, financial transactions with Syrian entities, and investment in the country.

Important 2025-2026 Update: Following the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, the U.S. government has taken steps toward easing certain Syria sanctions to support the country’s reconstruction and new government. In January 2025, OFAC issued a General License authorizing certain transactions with new Syrian governing institutions. However, the comprehensive sanctions framework against Syria formally remains in place as of 2026, with targeted relaxations through specific licenses. Companies must carefully assess each transaction under current OFAC guidance before engaging with Syrian counterparties.

🇺🇦 Crimea, Donetsk, and Luhansk Regions (Ukraine)

Since Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea, OFAC has imposed comprehensive sanctions on the Crimea region under the Ukraine-/Russia-Related Sanctions Regulations. Following Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Donetsk and Luhansk regions were added to the comprehensive sanctions framework. Prohibited transactions include:

• New investment in these regions
• Import and export of goods, services, or technology to/from these regions
• Any transaction with persons operating in these regions

These region-specific sanctions apply in addition to the broad Russia sanctions program, effectively creating a dual-layer sanctions wall around occupied Ukrainian territories.

Countries with Targeted OFAC Sanctions Programs (2026)

Beyond comprehensive embargoes, OFAC administers targeted sanctions programs for the following countries and regions. Trade and financial transactions are generally still permitted unless they involve persons on the SDN List or restricted sectors:

OFAC vs EU vs UK Sanctions — Country Comparison Table 2026

Most heavily sanctioned countries appear on all three major sanctions lists — U.S. OFAC, EU (CFSP), and UK OFSI — though the scope, designations, and licensing rules differ. Here is a side-by-side comparison of key countries:

*Syria: OFAC comprehensive sanctions framework formally in place with targeted general licenses allowing some activity with new governing institutions as of 2025-2026. ✅ = sanctions in place; ⚠️ = partial/limited sanctions only.

EU Sanctions Countries 2026

The European Union maintains its own autonomous sanctions regime under the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), administered by the European External Action Service (EEAS). While many EU sanctions mirror UN Security Council measures, the EU also imposes autonomous sanctions independently. Key EU sanctions regimes active in 2026 include:

• Russia — 14 packages of sanctions adopted since 2022, covering finance, energy, transport, technology, and hundreds of designated individuals and entities. The 14th package (2024) introduced new provisions targeting sanctions circumvention.
• Belarus — Six packages of sanctions targeting Lukashenko regime officials and key economic sectors (potash, petroleum, banking).
• Iran — Sanctions covering weapons proliferation, human rights violations, and drone supplies to Russia. EU lifted some nuclear-related sanctions under the JCPOA but retained others.
• Syria — Broad EU sanctions have been in place since 2011, with selective relaxation in 2025 following the fall of the Assad regime to support reconstruction efforts.
• North Korea — EU implements UN Security Council sanctions comprehensively, plus additional autonomous measures.
• Myanmar, Venezuela, Sudan, Nicaragua, Mali, Guinea, Haiti, Libya — targeted EU sanctions against designated individuals and entities.

EU sanctions apply to all EU-incorporated companies, EU nationals worldwide, and any business conducted within EU territory — including financial transactions processed through EU-based banks.

UK (OFSI) Sanctions Countries 2026

Following Brexit, the UK operates its own sanctions regime through the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) within HM Treasury, under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018 (SAMLA). While UK sanctions largely mirror EU measures, there are important differences:

• Russia — The UK has adopted one of the most extensive Russia sanctions regimes globally, with thousands of designations covering oligarchs, financial institutions, and defense sector entities. The UK has also sanctioned Russian oil carried above the G7 price cap.
• Iran — UK maintains autonomous Iran sanctions covering proliferation, terrorism financing, and human rights abuses.
• Belarus, Venezuela, Myanmar, Syria — UK sanctions broadly align with EU designations, with some UK-specific additions.
• North Korea — UK implements UN Security Council measures in full.
• Crimea/Donetsk/Luhansk — UK has comprehensive sanctions on all Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories.

OFSI can impose substantial civil penalties for breach of UK financial sanctions, including penalties of up to £1 million or 50% of the transaction value, whichever is higher. Unlike OFAC, OFSI operates a monetary penalties regime that can be applied even for negligent rather than intentional violations.

How to Check If a Country or Entity Is Sanctioned

Given the complexity and frequency of updates to the OFAC sanctioned countries list, businesses need robust screening procedures. Here’s how to check:

1. Check the OFAC SDN List

The Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN) List is the primary OFAC screening tool, available at ofac.treas.gov. It is updated frequently — sometimes multiple times per week. Never rely on a cached or outdated version.

2. Use OFAC’s Consolidated Sanctions List

OFAC’s Consolidated Sanctions List combines the SDN List with other OFAC sanctions lists (Non-SDN Menu-Based Sanctions List, Foreign Sanctions Evaders, etc.) into a single searchable database. This is recommended for comprehensive screening.

3. Check Country-Specific Restrictions

Even if a party is not on the SDN List, transactions may still be prohibited if they involve a comprehensively sanctioned country or a restricted sector. Review the applicable country-specific OFAC regulations before proceeding.

4. Screen Against EU and UK Lists

If your company has EU or UK nexus, also screen against the EU Consolidated Sanctions List (sanctionsmap.eu) and the UK OFSI Consolidated List (gov.uk/government/publications/financial-sanctions-consolidated-list-of-targets).

5. Implement Automated Compliance Screening

Before implementing automated tools, ensure your team has reviewed our OFAC compliance checklist to confirm all procedural foundations are in place.

For businesses with high transaction volumes, manual screening is insufficient. Implement automated sanctions screening software that checks counterparties against all relevant lists in real time. Ensure the software is configured to handle fuzzy name matching (alternative spellings, aliases).

6. Seek an OFAC License When in Doubt

When a transaction falls in a gray area, or when you have a legitimate business need to engage with a sanctioned country or entity, you can apply for a specific license from OFAC. Our OFAC sanctions lawyers can guide you through the licensing process and help assess your compliance risk.

What to Do If You Do Business with a Sanctioned Country

Discovering that you have transacted with a sanctioned country or entity — or that you are currently doing so — requires immediate action. The steps below outline how to respond and mitigate risk:

Step 1: Cease and Freeze

Stop any ongoing transactions immediately. If you hold assets belonging to an SDN-listed party, you are required to block (freeze) those assets and report the blocking to OFAC within 10 business days.

Step 2: Conduct an Internal Investigation

Determine the scope of the exposure: How many transactions were involved? What was the total value? Were the dealings knowing or inadvertent? Did any U.S. persons or entities participate? Document everything.

Step 3: Consider Voluntary Self-Disclosure

OFAC has a formal Voluntary Self-Disclosure (VSD) program. Companies that promptly self-disclose apparent violations can receive a significant reduction in penalties — typically 50% of the base penalty amount. However, VSD is not always the best strategy; consult with sanctions counsel first.

Step 4: Apply for an OFAC License (If Needed)

In some cases, ongoing business relationships with parties connected to sanctioned countries may be authorized under a specific or general license. Licenses can also be sought retroactively in limited circumstances. OFAC licenses are complex legal instruments requiring detailed applications.

Step 5: Retain Experienced OFAC Counsel

OFAC enforcement actions are serious legal matters. Whether you are facing an investigation, seeking a license, or trying to get assets unblocked, experienced legal representation is essential.

Frequently Asked Questions About OFAC Sanctioned Countries

How many countries are on the OFAC sanctions list in 2026?

OFAC administers more than 30 active sanctions programs. In terms of countries, 4 countries face comprehensive embargoes (Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria) plus occupied Ukrainian regions, while an additional 20+ countries have targeted OFAC sanctions programs targeting specific individuals, entities, or sectors.

Is Russia on the OFAC comprehensively sanctioned countries list?

Russia is subject to extensive OFAC sectoral and individual sanctions — but as of 2026, it is not subject to a comprehensive embargo in the same way as Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and Syria. However, the occupied Ukrainian regions of Crimea, Donetsk, and Luhansk are subject to comprehensive OFAC sanctions. Russia’s financial, energy, and defense sectors face sweeping restrictions, and thousands of Russian entities and individuals are on the SDN List.

Does OFAC enforce sanctions against non-US companies?

Yes. Through secondary sanctions — particularly for Iran, Russia, and North Korea — OFAC can target non-U.S. companies that conduct significant transactions with sanctioned parties, even without any direct U.S. connection. This has led to enforcement actions against European, Asian, and other non-U.S. companies.

What is the difference between OFAC, EU, and UK sanctions?

While the three regimes often target the same countries and individuals, they differ in scope, specific designations, and licensing rules. OFAC (U.S.) tends to have broader secondary sanctions reach. EU sanctions require unanimous Council decisions and apply to all EU territory and nationals. UK OFSI operates independently post-Brexit and may list different parties or have different licensing requirements than the EU. Companies with international operations must comply with all three simultaneously.

Can I get an OFAC license to do business with a sanctioned country?

Yes, in many cases. OFAC issues both general licenses (publicly available authorizations for categories of transactions) and specific licenses (individual authorizations for particular parties or transactions). Common license categories include humanitarian goods, journalistic activities, certain personal remittances, and legal fees. However, some transactions — particularly those involving North Korea and certain Iranian sectors — face very limited licensing options. An experienced OFAC lawyer can advise on license eligibility and prepare the application.