U.S. Sanctions Target International Network Facilitating Iranian Oil Shipments to China

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has sanctioned an international network involved in the shipment of millions of barrels of Iranian crude oil, valued at hundreds of millions of dollars, to China. The shipment was conducted on behalf of Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff (AFGS) and its sanctioned front company, Sepehr Energy Jahan Nama Pars (Sepehr Energy).

The action targets multiple entities and individuals across the People’s Republic of China (PRC), India, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), alongside several vessels, including the Comoros-flagged oil tanker ANTHEA, now operating under the name SIRI. The U.S. aims to stop Iran from using its oil revenues to fund destabilizing regional activities and support terrorism.

Secretary of the Treasury, Scott Bessent, condemned Iran’s continued focus on using oil revenues to fund its nuclear program, ballistic missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, and support for groups like Hamas, Hizballah, and the Houthis. He reaffirmed the U.S.'s commitment to targeting any efforts by Iran to fund these harmful activities.

The sanctions fall under Executive Orders (E.O.) 13224 and 13902, aimed at pressuring Iran to abandon its nuclear ambitions and disrupt its malicious influence globally. Several key figures and entities linked to Sepehr Energy, including Arash Lavian and Marshal Ship Management Private Limited, have been designated for facilitating illegal oil shipments and falsifying maritime documents to obscure the Iranian origin of the crude oil.

In the last year, Sepehr Energy has engaged in multiple shipments of Iranian oil to China, utilizing vessels like OXIS and GIOIOSA, valued at millions of dollars. This network continues to circumvent sanctions through deceptive tactics to support Iran’s military and proxy operations.

OFAC also identified additional shadow fleet vessels, CH BILLION and STAR FOREST, for their role in transporting Iranian oil. Both vessels have engaged in ship-to-ship transfers and have connections to entities linked to the IRGC and the Chinese market.

The sanctions serve as a direct message to those facilitating Iranian oil shipments and reinforce the U.S.'s efforts to deny Iran financial resources for its nuclear ambitions and destabilizing activities. These sanctions freeze the assets of designated individuals and entities in U.S. jurisdiction and prohibit transactions involving blocked property.

The U.S. remains steadfast in its approach to economic pressure, aiming to thwart Iran’s efforts to engage in illicit global activities.