In what it described as the most severe wave of sanctions against Iran’s oil and shipping sectors since 2018, the U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctioned more than 115 individuals, entities, and vessels. A significant portion of these sanctions target the shipping network operated by Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, the son of Ali Shamkhani, senior adviser to regime supreme leader Ali Khamenei.
According to the Treasury Department’s statement, Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani exploited his father’s influence to establish a complex network of shell companies, vessels, and foreign passports that he used to transfer oil, petroleum products, and other cargo from Iran and Russia to global buyers—earning tens of billions of dollars annually.
The sanctions list includes companies based in the UAE, Switzerland, Turkey, Cyprus, Singapore, Panama, the Marshall Islands, Saint Vincent, and Liberia. The network uses clandestine tactics and money laundering methods to conceal its ties to Tehran and Moscow.
EU Sanctions Hossein Shamkhani: A Blow to the Oil and Weapons Network of Iran’s Regime and Russia
The U.S. State Department, via its Persian-language platform, wrote that the Shamkhani family has used black-market wealth to purchase luxury properties around the world and even acquired Dominica passports through large-scale investments to conceal their travel and connections.
In a statement, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the Shamkhani family’s shipping empire demonstrates how regime operatives exploit their positions to amass vast wealth and finance the Iranian regime’s dangerous behavior.
Sanctions package targets 115 entities and individuals
Bessent added that the more than 115 sanctions imposed constitute the largest action since the launch of the U.S. maximum pressure campaign against Iran under President Donald Trump. These measures aim to target regime operatives who profit while Tehran continues to threaten U.S. national security—placing American interests as the top priority.
However, Iranian regime foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei condemned the sanctions as “illegal and oppressive,” claiming they are a “clear sign of U.S. hostility” and amount to “crimes against humanity” and “a blow to the welfare of the Iranian people.”
With the latest round, the number of Iranian individuals, entities, and vessels sanctioned by the United States this year has surpassed 500.
