US imposes on Iran ‘massive’ new sanctions
(MENAFN) The United States has announced a wide-ranging set of sanctions against Iran’s global shipping operations, accusing Tehran of channeling tens of billions of dollars in oil revenues through an illicit international network.
Revealed on Wednesday, the sanctions target over 100 entities, including individuals, companies, and vessels. According to the U.S. Treasury Department, the network is led by Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, son of senior Iranian official Ali Shamkhani, who is a top adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The U.S. alleges that Shamkhani exploited his father’s influence to build a massive fleet of oil tankers and cargo ships used to export Iranian and Russian petroleum to global buyers, notably in China. These operations, Washington claims, relied on a web of front companies to evade sanctions, launder funds, and conceal financial transactions.
The Treasury's sanctions list includes 12 individuals—including citizens of France, the UK, and Italy—along with 52 vessels and 15 shipping companies, one of which is based in Switzerland.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the sanctions underscore how Iranian elites use their positions to enrich themselves and fund activities that threaten U.S. interests. “These actions serve to protect America by going after regime insiders who benefit while endangering U.S. security,” he stated.
Described as the largest Iran-related sanctions package since 2018, the move is part of President Donald Trump’s renewed “maximum pressure” campaign aimed at halting Iran’s uranium enrichment efforts. The sanctions follow joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.
In response, Iran strongly condemned the sanctions. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei labeled them illegal and said they reveal the deep-seated hostility of U.S. leaders toward the Iranian people. He argued that the true intention is to obstruct Iran’s progress.
Western powers have long suspected Iran of using its nuclear program as a cover to develop atomic weapons—an allegation Tehran denies, insisting its program is peaceful. Iranian officials have vowed not to yield to pressure or intimidation, maintaining that they will not accept U.S. demands under coercion.
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