On March 13, the U.S. Department of the Treasury introduced a new round of sanctions aimed at Iran’s oil sector, including entities and vessels connected to its “shadow fleet.”
The U.S. Treasury’s statement revealed that sanctions were imposed on Iran’s Minister of Oil, Mohsen Paknejad, who oversees the export of Iranian oil and has funneled billions of dollars to Iran’s military to support the export operations.
Several legal entities from jurisdictions such as China and India, which are linked to vessels in Iran’s “shadow fleet,” were also added to the sanctions list. Simultaneously, the U.S. State Department blacklisted three legal entities and froze the assets of three vessels tied to them.
“Today’s sanctions further pressure the ‘shadow fleet’ and other vessels that are crucial for delivering Iranian oil to China, advancing the United States’ commitment to reducing Iranian oil exports to zero,” the U.S. Treasury said.
Additionally, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized that under President Donald Trump’s leadership, Iran would be prevented from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Trump himself expressed hope for a “deal” with Iran, which is edging closer to developing nuclear weapons.
