U.S. sanctions 115+ in major crackdown on Iran-Russia oil network

Alsharq Tribune- Sarah Benkraouda 

The United States on Wednesday launched one of its most expansive sanctions efforts against Iran in recent years, targeting a vast oil and shipping network tied to both Tehran and Moscow.

The move zeroes in on Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, an influential Iranian oil trader and son of a senior adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

According to the U.S. Treasury Department, the network has moved oil and cargo for both Iran and Russia, generating tens of billions of dollars in illicit revenue.

“Today’s action strikes at the heart of a shadowy oil trade that fuels both Iran’s destabilizing activities and Russia’s war effort,” said Deputy Treasury Secretary Michael Faulkender. “We are not going to allow Tehran to secure the funds it needs to advance its dangerous weapons programs.”

Shamkhani’s assets in the United States will be frozen, and he is banned from conducting transactions in dollars or engaging with the U.S. financial system.

The European Union sanctioned Shamkhani earlier this month, describing him as a key player in Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” an informal maritime network used to circumvent Western sanctions on Russian oil. Despite the overlap, U.S. officials emphasized that Wednesday’s move was focused primarily on Iran’s sanction evasion and nuclear ambitions.

“This is about Iran first,” a senior Treasury official told reporters, speaking on condition of anonymity. “The connections to Russia are known, but we’re highlighting the Iranian side of this equation particularly their capacity to use these networks to finance nuclear enrichment, ballistic missile development, and regional proxy operations.”