US Sanctions Oil Tanker For Illicit Shipment Of Iranian Commodities To Houthis

The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control has imposed sanctions on a shipping firm registered with the Marshall Islands named Vishnu Inc. and Lady Sofia, its vessel.

The sanctions target those involved in illegal shipments to China who are suspected of assisting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force (IRGC-QF) and the Houthis.

The sanctions result from a ship-to-ship transfer that occurred on January 31 between LADY SOFIA and MEHLE.

MEHLE was recently sanctioned and allegedly used “spoofing”—manipulating the automatic identification system to mask its actual location – to hide the transfer of Iran’s goods to LADY SOFIA.

The MEHLE, disguised as another vessel and conveying a false position, unloaded the cargo near Singapore. The LADY SOFIA is currently sailing to China and is loaded with Iranian goods.

Vishnu Inc. is mainly aimed at materially aiding Sa’id al-Jamal, a financial facilitator of the Houthis previously sanctioned by the United States.

This action reflects the US dedication to disrupting financial networks that support Iranian-supported groups and help maintain stability in the Middle East.