The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has sanctioned over 50 individuals, entities, and vessels that facilitate Iranian oil and LPG sales and shipments from Iran.
OFAC said these actors have collectively enabled the export of billions of dollars’ worth of petroleum and petroleum products, providing critical revenue to the Iranian regime and its support for terrorist groups that threaten the United States.
OFAC said the action taken on Thursday, October, 9, targets a network moving hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of Iranian LPG, along with nearly two dozen "shadow fleet" vessels, a China-based crude oil terminal, and an independent “teapot” refinery, which are key to Iran’s ability to export petroleum and petroleum products to generate significant revenue.
This is the fourth round of sanctions where the US Government has targeted China-based refineries that continue to purchase Iranian oil.
OFAC said this action builds on recent sanctions in July and August targeting key enablers of Iran’s oil exports. It is being taken primarily pursuant to Executive Order (EO) 13902, which targets Iran’s petroleum and petrochemical sector, as well as pursuant to EO 13846.
The vessels targeted by the latest sanctions round include the LPG carriers Max Star (pictured) and Gas Dior and the oil tankers Gas Marta, Sea Hermes, Gas Leader, Gas Vision, Ada, Sea Opera, and Tulip.
