The United States has issued a new round of sanctions targeting an organization involved in shipping commodities on behalf of Iran‘s General Staff of the Armed Forces and Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics.
According to a press release, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control is blocking the use of 13 vessels managed by Oceanlink Maritime DMCC.
Oceanlink Maritime is based in the United Arab Emirates.
OFAC found that Oceanlink used the crude oil tanker Hecate to move over $100 million in commodities for Sepehr Energy via a ship-to-ship transfer from another sanctioned tanker, the Dover. Dover is registered in Iran under National Iranian Tanker Co.
The office said Sepehr Energy was sanctioned in 2023 for involvement with the Iranian military.
Sepehr Energy has also used other Oceanlink Maritime-managed ships to move Iranian goods since March.
“We are focused on disrupting Iran’s ability to finance its terrorist proxy and partner groups and support to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine,” said Brian Nelson, undersecretary of the treasury for terrorism and financial intelligence.
The sanctions come amid escalating tensions between the United States and Iran.
On Friday, a senior U.S. government official told CNN that Washington is on high alert and preparing for an Iranian attack on Israeli or American assets.
