US Sanctions 29 Vessels In Crackdown On Iran’s Shadow Oil Fleet
The U.S. Department of the Treasury on Thursday announced sanctions against 29 vessels and their management companies for assisting Iran in evading U.S. oil sanctions through deceptive shipping practices.
According to the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the vessels were part of Iran’s so-called “shadow fleet,” a network used to transport Iranian petroleum and petroleum products while obscuring their origin through methods such as ship-to-ship transfers and complex ownership structures.
Treasury officials said the sanctioned vessels transported hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of Iranian crude oil and refined petroleum products, including fuel oil, bitumen, naphtha, and condensate, during 2025.
Sanctions Target Multiple Jurisdictions
OFAC said the sanctioned vessels operated under flags from multiple jurisdictions, including Palau, Panama, the Cook Islands, Barbados, and Jamaica. The ships were owned and managed by companies registered in various countries, many of which, Treasury said, were established primarily to own or operate individual vessels.
Treasury also designated several shipping companies for operating in Iran’s petroleum sector in violation of U.S. sanctions authorities, including firms based in the United Arab Emirates, Panama, India, and the Marshall Islands.
Vessels Conducted Ship-to-Ship Transfers
According to OFAC, some of the vessels made port calls to Houthi-controlled ports in Yemen, while others conducted ship-to-ship transfers in the Persian Gulf to conceal the origin of Iranian petroleum. One tanker identified in the action, M K A, was previously involved in transporting petroleum products originating from Russia in addition to Iranian oil, Treasury said.
Sanctions Target Egyptian Shipping Executive
The sanctions also target Hatem Elsaid Farid Ibrahim Sakr, an Egyptian businessman based in the United Arab Emirates, whom Treasury described as a key foreign enabler of Iranian petroleum exports. OFAC said Sakr owns and operates multiple shipping and petroleum-related companies that were linked to seven of the sanctioned vessels.
Treasury stated that Sakr’s firms were associated with petroleum shipments coordinated with Iranian military-associated front companies. One vessel, the SKYLIGHT, conducted a ship-to-ship transfer of Iranian condensate shortly after Sakr acquired the tanker in June 2023, according to Treasury.
Sanctions Implications
As a result of the action, all property and interests in property of the designated vessels, companies, and individuals that are within U.S. jurisdiction or under the control of U.S. persons are blocked. U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions involving sanctioned entities without authorization from OFAC.
Treasury said violations of U.S. sanctions may result in civil or criminal penalties.
Original Article: U.S. Sanctions 29 Vessels In Crackdown On Iran’s Shadow Oil Fleet — Dallasexpress