US imposes new sanctions on Iran’s ‘shadow fleet’ of oil tankers
Al Jazeera
The latest US sanctions are part of an effort to disrupt Iran’s use of oil revenue to finance its nuclear programme.
The United States has piled on additional sanctions against Iran targeting 35 entities and vessels that it says are part of a “shadow fleet of vessels” transporting cargoes of Iranian petroleum to foreign markets.
The sanctions are similar to those previously imposed two months ago in response to Iran’s October 1 missile attack on military sites in Israel and to its announced nuclear escalations, the US Department of the Treasury said on Tuesday in a statement.
“Iran continues to funnel revenues from its petroleum trade toward the development of its nuclear program, proliferation of its ballistic missile and unmanned aerial vehicle technology, and sponsorship of its regional terrorist proxies, risking further destabilizing the region,” Acting Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Bradley Smith said in a statement.
“The United States remains committed to disrupting the shadow fleet of vessels and operators that facilitate these illicit activities, using the full range of our tools and authorities,” Smith added.
Iranian oil and petrochemicals are already under heavy US sanctions.
