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Tammy Bruce, Department Spokesperson Sanctions on Oil Smugglers Exporting Iranian OilToday, the United States is acting to stem the flow of revenue the Iranian regime uses to support terrorism abroad and oppress its own people. The Department of State is sanctioning six entities and identifying four vessels for having knowingly engaged in a significant transaction for the purchase, acquisition, sale, transport, or marketing of petroleum, petroleum products or petrochemical products from Iran. Concurrently, the Department of the Treasury is designating oil smuggling networks that have collectively transported and purchased billions of dollars’ worth of Iranian oil. Treasury is also sanctioning several shadow fleet vessels engaged in the covert delivery of Iranian oil. Among the entities sanctioned today are a network of companies run by Iraqi businessman Salim Ahmed Said that have profited from smuggling Iranian oil disguised as, or blended with, Iraqi oil. The United States will continue to pursue measures in support of National Security Presidential Memorandum 2, which directs the imposition of maximum pressure on the Iranian regime to deny it access to revenues that fund its destabilizing activities. We will not hesitate to utilize all available tools at our disposal to counter those who enable Iran’s illicit oil trade. Today’s action is being taken pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13846 and E.O. 13902, which target Iran’s petroleum and petrochemical sectors, as well as the counterterrorism authority E.O. 13224, as amended. It marks the tenth 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. |