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U.S. DEPARTMENT of STATE
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Office of the Spokesperson Today, the Department of State is sanctioning numerous entities, individuals, and vessels to further expose individuals and entities that enabled strikes against U.S. forces and allies and to restrict the revenue that the Iranian regime uses to attack its neighbors, support terrorism abroad, brutally oppress its own people, and hold the global economy hostage. Last week, the Department of State’s Rewards for Justice (RFJ) program offered a reward of up to $10 million for information on the key leaders of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including Ahmed Vahidi and Ali Abdollahi. More information about RFJ rewards is available on the RFJ website. All Department of State targets are being designated pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13846, which authorizes and reimposes certain sanctions with respect to Iran, and E.O. 13949, which targets certain persons with respect to the conventional arms activities of Iran. Concurrently, the Department of the Treasury is designating nearly 60 entities, individuals, and identifying vessels as blocked property. These persons enable the Iranian regime’s illicit procurement, cyber operations, and petroleum and petrochemical product revenue generation networks. Today’s action targets two Iran-based entities involved in the procurement of sensitive imagery that supported targeting of U.S. service members and partners in the region, along with seven individuals responsible for Iran’s military activities and procurement efforts, including directing the use of conventional weapons against U.S. forces and neutral neighboring states and advocating for defense partnerships with Iran’s international partners that would contravene U.S. sanctions. Today, the Department of State is sanctioning multiple companies that have engaged in the illicit trade of Iranian petroleum and petrochemical products, activities that have generated millions of dollars in revenue for the Iranian regime. Iran’s exports of petroleum, petroleum products, and petrochemical products are facilitated by shell companies and intermediaries in third countries. These Iranian petroleum, petroleum products, and petrochemical cargos are frequently transported by shadow fleet operators, including vessel management companies that regularly engage in dark activity and other deceptive shipping practices, endangering other vessels and trade flows. Finally, import and logistics companies, such as customs brokers and port agents, facilitate the entry of Iranian- origin commodities through customs on behalf of buyers in third countries. Today’s action targets all the nodes of this illicit trade, and promotes accountability for the buyers, sellers, intermediaries, and service providers that help facilitate Iran’s destabilizing activities. As a result of today’s sanctions-related actions, and in accordance with E.O.s 13949 and 13846, all property and interests in property of the sanctioned persons described above that are in the United States or in possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to the Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). In addition, all entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked. All transactions by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of designated or otherwise blocked persons are prohibited unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC or exempt. These prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any blocked person and the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person. The power and integrity of U.S. government sanctions derive not only from the U.S. government’s ability to designate and add persons to the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN) List, but also from its willingness to remove persons from the SDN List consistent with the law. The ultimate goal of sanctions is not to punish, but to bring about a positive change in behavior. Petitions for removal from the SDN List may be sent to: OFAC.Reconsideration@treasury.gov. Petitioners may also refer to the Department of State’s Delisting Guidance page.
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