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U.S. Sanctions 29 ‘Shadow Fleet’ Tankers Linked to Iranian Oil Exports

The move aims to cut petroleum revenue that Washington says finances Iran’s weapons programs.

Overview

  • The Treasury Department’s OFAC designated the vessels and their management firms under Executive Order 13902 in support of NSPM‑2.
  • Targets include a network tied to Egyptian operator Hatem Elsaid Farid Ibrahim Sakr with companies active in the UAE, India, the Marshall Islands, and Panama.
  • Treasury says the ships moved hundreds of millions of dollars of petroleum using deceptive practices such as false flags, falsified paperwork, frequent renaming, opaque ownership, and low‑tier insurance.
  • Under Secretary John Hurley said Treasury will continue efforts to deprive Tehran of petroleum revenue used for its military and weapons programs.
  • The latest designations follow stepped‑up enforcement that included the December 10 seizure of the tanker Skipper off Venezuela previously linked to Iranian oil trading.