The United States has sanctioned vessels and firms linked to Iran’s oil “shadow fleet”, citing concerns that energy export revenues are being used to finance a violent crackdown on protesters.
The United States on Friday imposed sanctions on nine vessels linked to what it describes as Iran’s “shadow fleet”, along with eight related firms as Washington escalates pressure on Tehran following the killing of protesters during recent unrest.
In a statement, the US Treasury Department said the vessels and their owners or management companies had played a key role in moving Iranian oil and petroleum products to overseas markets. The entities involved are based across multiple jurisdictions, including India, Oman and the United Arab Emirates.
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According to the Treasury, the ships collectively transported hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of Iranian oil, helping generate revenue for the Iranian state despite existing international restrictions on its energy exports.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the sanctions were aimed at disrupting how the Iranian government raises funds that, according to Washington, are used to suppress domestic dissent.
“Today’s sanctions target a critical component of how Iran generates the funds used to repress its own people,” Bessent said in the statement. He added that US authorities would continue to monitor and track the movement of tens of millions of dollars that the Iranian regime was attempting to transfer to banks outside the country.
The move comes amid renewed scrutiny of Iran’s respons