US Expands Sanctions on Iran
(MENAFN) The United States has introduced extensive new restrictions against Iran’s global maritime operations, accusing the network of unlawfully channeling tens of billions of dollars in oil profits to Tehran.
The penalties, disclosed on Wednesday, affect over 100 people, entities, and ships that the US Treasury identified as elements of a “vast shipping empire” overseen by businessman Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, who is the son of Ali Shamkhani—a high-ranking aide to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
According to the Treasury, Shamkhani allegedly exploited his father’s authority to assemble a fleet of oil tankers and cargo ships transporting billions of dollars in crude and petroleum-based products from Iran and Russia to global customers, including China.
These transactions were said to be conducted illegally through numerous “front” companies.
The US accused the network of “evading sanctions, laundering money, and obfuscating paper trails.”
The list of sanctioned parties features 12 individuals—including citizens of France, the United Kingdom, and Italy—along with 52 vessels and 15 shipping firms, one of which operates out of Switzerland.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated, “The Shamkhani family’s shipping empire highlights how the Iranian regime elites leverage their positions to accrue massive wealth and fund the regime’s dangerous behavior.”
He added, “These actions put America first by targeting regime elites that profit while Tehran threatens the safety of the US.”
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