US sanctions network linked to senior Iranian official over oil shipping
Shafaq News- Washington
The US Department of the Treasury on Tuesday imposed a new round of sanctions targeting a shipping and logistics network linked to Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, accusing it of facilitating Iran's oil exports and helping the country evade international sanctions.
The Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said the measures target more than 50 individuals, companies, and vessels allegedly involved in what it described as Shamkhani's "illicit shipping empire." The sanctions follow Washington's decision to increase economic pressure on Iran after renewed attacks in the Strait of Hormuz.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent noted that the measures aim to dismantle the financial infrastructure that enables Iran to continue oil exports and supports activities Washington considers a threat to US national security and global shipping.
“The network has expanded beyond Iranian oil exports into global container shipping and commodities trading”, the Treasury said, adding that the department has now sanctioned more than 200 individuals, entities, and vessels linked to the network through actions taken since July 2025.
Today, Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control is intensifying its efforts to disrupt and degrade the illicit shipping and sanctions evasion network of Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani. This action is part of Treasury’s ongoing efforts to ramp up economic pressure on the Iranian…
— Treasury Department (@USTreasury) July 14, 2026
The latest sanctions target financial intermediaries, shipping executives, logistics firms, and vessel operators based in several countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, India, Hong Kong, the Marshall Islands, and St. Kitts and Nevis. US authorities also designated multiple shipping companies and vessels that they say transport Iranian oil and other cargo on behalf of the network.
