On Thursday, February 6, the United States sanctioned an international network that facilitates the transportation of millions of barrels of Iranian crude oil to China, worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued a statement saying that Iranian oil is being shipped to China on behalf of Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff and its sanctioned entity, “Sepehr Energy Jahan Nama Pars.”
According to the statement, the Iranian government generates billions of dollars annually from oil sales to finance its destabilizing regional activities and support terrorist groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis. Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff enables the sale and shipment of oil from Iran through networks and intermediaries based outside the country.
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Scott Bessent, the U.S. Treasury Secretary, stated that the Iranian regime remains focused on using its oil revenues to fund its nuclear program, produce ballistic missiles and lethal drones, and support its terrorist proxy groups in the region.
He emphasized that the United States is committed to targeting any attempts by the Iranian regime to finance these malign activities.
The U.S. State Department also issued a statement warning that the United States will not tolerate the Iranian government’s destructive and destabilizing behavior. As a result, it is sanctioning the “shadow fleet” of ships and management companies involved in the sale and transportation of Iranian oil.
The U.S. diplomatic apparatus further warned that the United States will use all available tools to hold the Iranian regime accountable for its destabilizing activities and its attempts to acquire nuclear weapons.
