US targets Iran's 'shadow fleet' of oil tankers with new sanctions

The United States has imposed new sanctions on Iran, targeting 35 entities and vessels that it claims are part of a "shadow fleet" involved in transporting Iranian petroleum to foreign markets, News.az reports citing Al Jazeera.

The sanctions are similar to those previously imposed two months ago in response to Iran’s October 1 missile attack on military sites in Israel and to its announced nuclear escalations, the US Department of the Treasury said on Tuesday in a statement.

“Iran continues to funnel revenues from its petroleum trade toward the development of its nuclear program, proliferation of its ballistic missile and unmanned aerial vehicle technology, and sponsorship of its regional terrorist proxies, risking further destabilizing the region,” Acting Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Bradley Smith said in a statement.

“The United States remains committed to disrupting the shadow fleet of vessels and operators that facilitate these illicit activities, using the full range of our tools and authorities,” Smith added.

Iranian oil and petrochemicals are already under heavy US sanctions.

The latest sanctions will freeze the entities’ assets in the US and generally make it illegal for Americans to engage in financial transactions with them.

News.Az