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14h ago

U.S. Sanctions Iran Oil Smuggling Network and Hezbollah Lender

The U.S. is leveraging maximum pressure directives to choke Tehran’s crude revenue by blacklisting illicit oil smugglers alongside a Hezbollah financing arm.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks to reporters at the U.S. Capitol as Republican lawmakers struggle to pass U.S. President Donald Trump?s sweeping spending and tax bill, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 27, 2025. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/File Photo
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Overview

  • The Treasury designated a network led by Salim Ahmed Said for blending Iranian crude with Iraqi oil and using forged documents to evade sanctions.
  • Several vessels in Iran’s shadow fleet were identified for conducting covert ship-to-ship transfers and dark activity to ferry Iranian petroleum.
  • Under counterterrorism authority E.O. 13224, the Treasury sanctioned Hezbollah’s Al-Qard Al-Hassan and seven officials for concealing millions in transactions that funded the group.
  • These actions represent the tenth round of sanctions under National Security Presidential Memorandum-2 and Executive Orders 13846 and 13902 to intensify economic pressure on Tehran.
  • Chinese refiners imported nearly 1.4 million barrels per day of Iranian oil in the first half of 2025 via shadow shipments, highlighting enforcement challenges.