By Rabia Iclal Turan
WASHINGTON (AA) - The Trump administration imposed sanctions Wednesday on more than 115 entities and vessels that are allegedly tied to the illegal transport of oil and petroleum products from Iran and Russia in violation of US sanctions.
The Treasury Department said the network is overseen by Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, the son of Ali Shamkhani -- a senior adviser to Iran’s supreme leader who was sanctioned by the US in 2020.
The agency said it is the largest Iran-related action since 2018.
“The Shamkhani family’s shipping empire highlights how the Iranian regime elites leverage their positions to accrue massive wealth and fund the regime’s dangerous behavior,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement. “The over 115 sanctions issued today are the largest to-date since the Trump Administration implemented our campaign of maximum pressure on Iran.”
The State Department also announced sanctions on 20 entities and identified 10 vessels as blocked property. It accused the designated actors of facilitating the export and purchase of millions of barrels of Iranian crude and petrochemical products through “deceptive” practices, including disabling ship transponders and falsifying cargo documentation.