A recent report from Malaysiakini revealed that a senior U.S. treasury official, Brian Nelson, has emphasized the environmental dangers linked to the illicit movement of Iranian oil through Malaysia. Nelson highlighted the reliance of Iran on service providers based in Malaysia for its oil transfers, expressing worries about the environmental and safety risks posed by vessels involved in these transactions around Malaysian waters. The U.S. Treasury's focus on preventing Malaysia from becoming a hub for raising and transferring funds for groups like Hamas was underscored by Nelson, who pointed out the financial activities of entities associated with Iran and its proxies in Southeast Asia.

During his visit to Singapore and Malaysia, Nelson, along with Treasury general counsel Neil MacBride, aimed to advance efforts in countering the financing and revenue generation of Iran and its proxies in the region. The concern over attempts by Iran and groups like Hamas to raise and move money in Southeast Asia was a key issue discussed during their trip, underlining the importance of monitoring and disrupting such illicit financial activities. The stance of Malaysian officials, including Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, towards complying with United Nations sanctions while not recognizing unilaterally applied sanctions was conveyed to Nelson, indicating Malaysia's approach to international restrictions on financial activities. Notably, Malaysia had investigated and taken action against organizations suspected of having links to Palestinians, as shared by Saifuddin, although the specific organization was not named in the report.