The United States has sanctioned vessels and firms linked to Iran’s oil “shadow fleet”, citing concerns that energy export revenues are being used to finance a violent crackdown on protesters.
The United States on Friday imposed sanctions on nine vessels linked to what it describes as Iran’s “shadow fleet”, along with eight related firms as Washington escalates pressure on Tehran following the killing of protesters during recent unrest.
In a statement, the US Treasury Department said the vessels and their owners or management companies had played a key role in moving Iranian oil and petroleum products to overseas markets. The entities involved are based across multiple jurisdictions, including India, Oman and the United Arab Emirates.
According to the Treasury, the ships collectively transported hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of Iranian oil, helping generate revenue for the Iranian state despite existing international restrictions on its energy exports.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the sanctions were aimed at disrupting how the Iranian government raises funds that, according to Washington, are used to suppress domestic dissent.
“Today’s sanctions target a critical component of how Iran generates the funds used to repress its own people,” Bessent said in the statement. He added that US authorities would continue to monitor and track the movement of tens of millions of dollars that the Iranian regime was attempting to transfer to banks outside the country.
The move comes amid renewed scrutiny of Iran’s response to protests that erupted across the country. Rights groups have said that thousands of people, including bystanders, were killed during the unrest, which they have described as the most severe crackdown since Shi’ite Muslim clerics came to power following the 1979 revolution.
Washington has repeatedly argued that revenue from oil exports and related shipping networks allows Tehran to cushion the impact of sanctions and sustain internal security operations. By targeting vessels, owners and management firms involved in this trade, US officials say they are seeking to restrict Iran’s access to funds generated through international energy markets.
The latest measures add to a broader sanctions regime aimed at Iran’s energy, financial and shipping sectors, even as Tehran continues to deny allegations of widespread human rights violations during the protests.
Trump had repeatedly threatened to intervene against Iran over the recent killings of protesters there, but protests dwindled last week and President Donald Trump’s rhetoric regarding Iran has eased.
The shadow fleet refers to ships that carry oil that is under sanctions. They are typically old, their ownership opaque and they sail without the top-tier insurance cover needed to meet international standards for oil majors and many ports.
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