Sanctioning Facilitators of Iran’s Petroleum and Petrochemical Trade

Today, the United States is taking decisive action to disrupt the Iranian regime’s ability to fund its destabilizing activities, including its nuclear program, support for terrorist groups, and oppression of its own people.

The Department of State is imposing sanctions on 20 entities for their involvement in the trade of Iranian petroleum, petroleum products, or petrochemical products and is identifying 10 vessels as blocked property.  These actions target a terminal operator, vessel management companies, and wholesale buyers that have collectively facilitated the export and purchase of millions of barrels of Iranian crude oil, petroleum products, and petrochemical products.

The Department is designating multiple vessel management companies whose tankers have engaged in illicit shipments and other deceptive shipping practices, endangering global trade flows.  The Department is also designating a China-based operator of a crude oil and petroleum products terminal that has repeatedly accepted Iranian-origin crude oil, including from U.S.-designated tankers.  Additionally, multiple companies in India, the United Arab Emirates, Türkiye, and Indonesia are being designated for their significant sales and purchases of Iranian-origin petrochemical products.  As President Trump has said, any country or person who chooses to purchase Iranian oil or petrochemicals exposes themselves to the risk of U.S. sanctions and will not be allowed to conduct business with the United States.

Concurrently, the Department of the Treasury is designating over 115 targets in the vast shipping empire and sanctions evasion network of regime insider Hossein Shamkhani, the son of the Supreme Leader’s political advisor Ali Shamkhani.

The United States will continue to impose maximum pressure on the Iranian regime, in support of National Security Presidential Memorandum 2, until Iran accepts a deal that advances regional peace and stability and in which Iran forgoes all aspirations of a nuclear weapon.  Today’s actions underscore our resolve to target those who enable Iran’s illicit oil and petrochemical trade and to cut off the regime’s means of funding its destabilizing activities. 

Today’s Department of State action is being taken pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13846, which targets Iran’s petroleum and petrochemical sectors.  It marks the eleventh round of sanctions targeting Iranian oil sales since the President issued National Security Presidential Memorandum 2 on February 4, 2025, ordering a campaign of maximum pressure on Iran.

For more information on today’s action, please see the Department of the Treasury press releases.