In October 2007, the United States included Bank Melli in a broad range of sanctions measures against Iranian institutions on the grounds that it provided banking services to the nuclear drive and the elite Revolutionary Guards.

Those sanctions forbid any financial transactions between a US citizen or private organisation. All assets under US jurisdiction of those targeted were immediately frozen.

The latest UN Security Council sanctions passed against Iran in March also urged "vigilance" in dealing with banks inside the Islamic republic, including Bank Melli, which is believed to be the biggest in Iran.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced the latest measures after his talks with US President George W. Bush in London.

Bank Melli Iran (Iran National Bank) was founded on September 11, 1928 during the rule of shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi who wanted to modernise Iran's economy to bring it in line with European countries.

Its founding was helped by aid from Reza Pahlavi's close ally Germany, indeed German officials ran the bank during its early years.

The bank currently employs more than 45,000 men and women, and it has more than 3,100 branches in Iran and 16 branches outside the Islamic republic.

It is 100 percent state owned and although Iran is intending to partly privatise other state banks as part of a broad privatisation drive, Bank Melli is not expected to be affected.

In 2005-2006, the bank reported assets of more than 350 trillion rials (32 billion dollars or 21 billion euros). More up-to-date figures are not available.

Recent press reports have said that Iran has moved its assets from European banks to other institutions, fearing that further sanctions would affect its access to investments.

But this has been denied by the bank's London branch which said: "It should be noted that BMI continues to maintain very significant assets and investments in the EU and has every intention of doing so in the future."

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