U.S. Sanctions 22 Vessels And 27 Companies Tied To Iran’s Shadow Fleet And Oil Sales

The United States has imposed new sanctions on 27 companies, six individuals and 22 vessels linked to Iran’s oil trade. The move targets shipping companies and tankers that the US says have helped Iran sell oil and avoid sanctions.

The US Department of the Treasury said the vessels had carried millions of barrels of Iranian crude oil, petroleum and petrochemical products to markets in South and East Asia.

The sanctions target Iran’s remaining shadow fleet, a network of ageing tankers used to move oil and other petroleum products to foreign buyers.

The action is part of the Trump administration’s effort to cut off money earned from Iran’s oil sales. The Treasury said the country relies on its shadow fleet to move billions of dollars’ worth of petroleum and petroleum products.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the United States was targeting those helping Iran sell oil and avoid sanctions.

The sanctions were imposed under Operation Economic Outcast. They cover shipping operators, maritime management companies and trading firms in Turkiye, China, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the Marshall Islands.

The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said the vessels include crude oil tankers, petroleum product carriers, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tankers, chemical tankers and bitumen carriers registered under different national flags.

The department said the vessels and the companies operating them had helped hide the scale of Iran’s shipping network and avoid sanctions. The ships had carried Iranian oil and petrochemical products to buyers in South and East Asia.

The sanctions were imposed under Executive Order 13902, which targets Iran’s petroleum sector and other key parts of its economy. The Treasury named several vessels and gave details of their reported cargo movements.

The Comoros-flagged tanker PARITOSH carried more than 100,000 barrels of Iranian bitumen, also known as asphalt, in 2026. The Panama-flagged BITU transported more than 170,000 barrels of Iranian bitumen this year, the department said.

The Panama-flagged STARWAY carried more than three million barrels of Iranian naphtha since 2025, according to the Treasury.

GAS LUCKY, a Bahamas-flagged liquefied petroleum gas tanker, transported more than 500,000 barrels of Iranian ethylene since 2025.

The Treasury also said it was removing two vessels, HAKUNA MATATA and PINOCCHIO, from the sanctions list. The department said they had left Iran’s shadow fleet and been sold to operators that were not sanctioned or were linked with the United States.

The US State Department separately announced sanctions against 10 entities, six individuals and five vessels involved in trading Iranian-origin petroleum or petrochemical products.

Pigott said the Treasury Department was separately sanctioning 17 entities and vessels linked to Iran’s shadow fleet as part of the campaign.

Bessent announced Operation Economic Outcast on August 24, 2026. The campaign targets Iran’s financial networks, oil sales and methods of avoiding sanctions.

The department also said businesses and individuals involved in money laundering or sanctions evasion could lose access to the US financial system.

Under the sanctions, property belonging to designated individuals and entities must be blocked if it is in the United States or held by US persons. The property must also be reported to OFAC.

The restrictions also apply to companies owned, directly or indirectly, at least 50% by one or more sanctioned persons, the Treasury said.

Violations could lead to civil or criminal penalties for US and foreign persons. Foreign financial institutions could also face additional sanctions for certain transactions involving designated parties.

References: hindustantimes, business standard