Dominica revokes citizenship of Abolfazl Shamkhani: second brother loses passport over hidden ties to Iran and CBI

Dominica has revoked the citizenship of Abolfazl Shamkhani, the younger son of the slain Iranian political adviser Ali Shamkhani. The report comes from OCCRP (Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project), citing a letter received by journalists.

The decision is dated March 27, 2026 and signed by State Minister Daren Pinard. The document states that Shamkhani obtained citizenship through Citizenship by Investment (CBI), concealing a key fact: the father of the future citizen was a senior political adviser to Iran under the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Abolfazl has 25 days from the date he received the letter to request an official investigation.

First the older brother was hit

Earlier, the older brother of Abolfazl—Hossein Shamkhani—was also placed under sanctions and had his citizenship revoked. Dominica stripped him of citizenship in August 2025, according to OCCRP, citing a separate letter signed by Pinard.

Hossein used a Dominican passport under the name “Hugo Hayek”.

By that point, Western law enforcement had already ramped up investigations. In July 2025, the US and the EU imposed sanctions on Hossein, accusing him of running a multi-billion-dollar oil smuggling scheme that generated profits for both Iran and Russia. In August 2025, the UK joined the sanctions, citing support for “hostile activity” by Iran.

According to OFAC’s wording, the family’s scheme relied on foreign passports obtained through financial investment. These documents were used for covert travel and to mask ties to Iran while conducting overseas business. Ali Shamkhani himself, along with Khamenei and several other senior Iranian officials, died February 28 in strikes by the US and Israel, according to the Iranian semi-official agency ILNA.

Dubai real estate worth millions under Caribbean “aliases”

A separate OCCRP investigation, published in March, highlighted the scale of the brothers’ property holdings. Based on UAE registry records, they owned at least four luxury villas in Dubai, and all properties were registered under their Dominican aliases.

Two neighboring villas in the prestigious Golf Place complex were purchased in July 2019 under their Iranian names, and then—at an unknown date—were quietly re-registered to individuals using the “Hayek” identity. New purchases on Jumeirah Bay Island (an artificial island off Dubai’s coast) were registered directly under the aliases in 2022.

The trail does not stop at real estate. OCCRP found that “Sami Hayek” registered as a limited partner in the Cyprus investment vehicle Saleya Fund RAIF LP in November 2024. In addition, both brothers were listed as founders of the Turkish company Green Energy Chemical Industries, which was later added to the OFAC sanctions list—part of actions targeting a shipping network linked to Hossein.

US: civil forfeiture claims totaling $15.3 million

The US Department of Justice filed two civil forfeiture complaints in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on March 6, 2026. The filings cite a total of more than $15.3 million that investigators tie to the Shamkhani network.

Of that amount, roughly $13 million was earmarked for Wellbred Capital and its subsidiary Wellbred Trading DMCC. Prosecutors allege these entities act as “fronts” designed to conceal ties to Shamkhani and Iran. An additional $2.4 million was planned for Sea Lead Shipping.

So far, Abolfazl has not been individually sanctioned and no criminal charges have been filed against him. However, the US forfeiture documents claim that he manages several companies connected to the network created by his brother.

Neither brother responded to requests from OCCRP. Previously, Hossein, in comments to Bloomberg, denied owning oil companies and said he works only in jurisdictions not covered by sanctions.

Dominica tightens rules for Iranian applicants

The revocation of Shamkhani’s citizenship fits into a broader trend of tightening procedures. Days before Abolfazl’s formal loss of citizenship, Dominica suspended the acceptance of new applications from Iranian citizens through Citizenship by Investment Unit (CIU) starting March 24.

Iranian applicants can now submit documents only if they meet several conditions: they must not have lived in Iran for at least 10 years, must not hold assets there, and must not conduct business with Iran or within the country.

These criteria resemble restrictions Dominica applies to citizens of North Korea and Sudan. Until May 2022, Iranians faced similar requirements. Authorities then temporarily eased the approach, but in July 2023 they reinstated stricter measures, including higher fees—up to $70,000 for families of four. The March 2026 suspension effectively turns the financial barrier into a near-total ban.

Since June 2024, Dominica has revoked 68 CBI passports over fraud or the provision of false information. The majority of affected cases involved Irqis, while Iranians accounted for about 6%.

Dubai increases pressure: additional risks for assets

The brothers’ assets in Dubai may face further constraints. In late March, unconfirmed reports said UAE authorities were revoking residence permits and “golden visas” used by Iranian citizens living outside the country.

By April 1, airlines Emirates and flydubai updated their travel warnings, stating that Iranian citizens are barred from entering and transiting through the UAE, with limited exceptions for holders of “golden visas” and for immediate family members of UAE citizens.

Still, a key question remains: will the exception protect assets registered under aliases linked to sanctioned individuals? No official UAE government statement has been published regarding the reported cancellations.

Dominica under long-running pressure from the United States

Dominica’s citizenship-by-investment program is entering its most intense phase of external scrutiny. In December 2025, President Donald Trump signed a proclamation introducing partial travel restrictions for Dominica citizens—explicitly mentioning CBI in the document.

In January 2026, the US froze processing of immigration visas for Dominica, and then shortened the validity of US visas for Dominica citizens from 10 years to three months. Separately, in December, the EU warned that the CBI program “by itself” could be grounds to suspend visas.

EU reports also noted that Caribbean jurisdictions grant citizenship to Iranians who later change names. Dominica banned name changes for five years after obtaining citizenship (enshrined in December 2023 rules), but the Shamkhani brothers received their passports years before the provision took effect.

The case of Dominica withdrawing citizenship due to undisclosed ties highlights how crucial transparency and proper due diligence are for CBI/“golden visa” routes. If you’re exploring investment citizenship and want to reduce the risk of refusals or later complications, contact the experts at Digital Nomad — we’ll help you prepare documents, structure the process, and support your application in line with program requirements.

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