The US has imposed sanctions on more than 30 individuals, companies, and vessels associated with Iran’s oil trade and weapons programs. The Treasury Department’s action targets Iran’s shadow fleet and networks supplying ballistic missile and advanced conventional weapons programs. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent highlighted Iran’s exploitation of financial systems for illicit activities, including supporting terrorist proxies.
The sanctions include 12 vessels and their owners or operators involved in transporting Iranian petroleum and petrochemical products worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Some ships carried liquified petroleum gas to Bangladesh and Pakistan, while others shipped various products to East Asia and other regions. Among the vessels sanctioned are HOOT, LUMA, OCEAN KOI, NORTH STAR, FELICITA, NIBA, REMIZ, DANUTA I, ALAA, and GAS FATE.
Additionally, several companies based in Panama, the Marshall Islands, the British Virgin Islands, Liberia, and Iran were designated for operating in Iran’s petroleum and petrochemical sectors. The Treasury’s move is part of its “maximum economic pressure” campaign on Iran, which has seen sanctions imposed on numerous entities in recent years. The department also targeted individuals and entities in Iran, Türkiye, and the United Arab Emirates for their alleged involvement in helping Iran procure materials for missile and UAV programs.
Treasury warned that foreign financial institutions conducting significant transactions for the designated persons could face secondary sanctions. The United States has a history of using sanctions to pressure Iran on various fronts, including oil exports, missile activities, and nuclear commitments. This latest action comes after the reimposition of UN sanctions in September 2025 due to Iran’s failure to meet its nuclear obligations.
