The United States is intensifying its pressure on Iran’s petroleum and petrochemical sectors by designating 16 entities and vessels involved in Iran’s illicit oil trade. This decisive action, undertaken by the U.S. Department of State, aims to curtail Iran’s ability to generate revenue for malign activities that threaten global stability.
In coordination with the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), a total of 22 individuals have been sanctioned, while 13 vessels have been identified as blocked property across multiple jurisdictions. These sanctions disrupt a sophisticated network of illicit shipping facilitators responsible for covertly transporting Iranian crude oil to buyers in Asia. This network has facilitated the shipment of tens of millions of barrels of oil, generating hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue for Iran’s regime.
These measures align with President Donald Trump’s policy of maximum pressure on Iran, a campaign designed to obstruct the Iranian regime’s access to financial resources used to support terrorist activities, attacks on U.S. allies, and other destabilizing actions. As long as Iran continues to channel energy revenues into such activities, the United States will persist in using all available tools to hold the regime accountable.
The sanctions imposed fall under the directives of Executive Orders 13902 and 13846, both of which specifically target Iran’s petroleum and petrochemical industries. These actions mark the second round of oil-related sanctions implemented since President Trump issued National Security Presidential Memorandum 2, reinforcing the administration’s commitment to curbing Iran’s influence in the global energy market.
For more details on these sanctions, please refer to the official releases from the White House and the U.S. Department of the Treasury:
White House Presidential Actions
Treasury Department Recent Actions