Overview

• OFAC designated al‑Samarra'i, his UAE firms Babylon Navigation DMCC and Galaxy Oil, and several Liberia‑flagged tankers including the Adena, Liliana and Camilla.
• Treasury also blacklisted Marshall Islands–registered ownership entities such as Tryfo Navigation, Keely Shiptrade Limited, Odiar Management SA, Panarea Marine SA and Topsail Shipholding Inc.
• Officials say the group uses ship‑to‑ship transfers in the Arabian Gulf and in Iraqi ports, nighttime operations, AIS spoofing and gaps in reporting, and links to Iran’s shadow fleet to conceal origin.
• Treasury estimates the operation provides roughly $300 million in annual value to Iran and its partners by selling Iranian oil marketed as Iraqi.
• The sanctions block property subject to U.S. jurisdiction, bar U.S. persons from dealings with the listed parties, and follow a July 3 action against a separate operator engaged in similar blending schemes.