The U.S. Department of the Treasury has imposed new sanctions on 35 entities and ships for their involvement in smuggling Iranian oil to foreign markets.
On Tuesday, December 3, the U.S. Treasury described this measure in a statement as part of increased pressure on Iran’s “shadow fleet.”
The term “shadow fleet” refers to a network of tankers and shipping companies that violate Western sanctions by smuggling Iranian oil and delivering it to foreign customers.
According to the U.S. Treasury, tactics used by Iran’s oil smuggling network include forging documents, tampering with ship tracking systems, and frequently changing ship names and flags.
The statement noted Iran’s attack on Israel on October 1 and reports of increased nuclear activities by the Iranian regime, emphasizing that the new U.S. sanctions would impose additional costs on Iran’s oil sector.
The U.S. Treasury stated that the Iranian regime uses oil revenues to advance its nuclear program, enhance its missile and advanced drone capabilities, and fund the terrorist activities of its regional proxies.
In recent years, the United States has repeatedly imposed sanctions on individuals and entities linked to the Iranian regime, as well as in countries like Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen.
In this context, on November 14, the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed sanctions on 26 individuals, entities, and vessels associated with Syria’s Al-Qatirji Company, a financial backer of the IRGC Quds Force and Yemen’s Houthis.
The U.S. Treasury had noted that Al-Qatirji Company, through the sale of Iranian oil to Syria and China, generated hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue for the IRGC Quds Force and Yemeni Houthis.
According to the statement, Al-Qatirji Company, previously sanctioned by the U.S. for facilitating oil sales between Bashar al-Assad’s government and the ISIS terrorist group in Iraq and Syria, has become “one of the primary channels” for generating revenue for the IRGC Quds Force and its regional proxies.
Bradley T. Smith, Acting Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence at the U.S. Treasury, stated: “The Iranian regime increasingly relies on key commercial partners like Al-Qatirji Company to support its destabilizing activities and terrorist network in the region.”
He emphasized that the United States will continue to take all possible actions to limit the Iranian regime’s ability to benefit from illegal schemes enabling its dangerous policies in the region.
In recent years, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and Australia have also imposed sanctions on the Iranian regime.
