The United States has announced new sanctions targeting Iran’s oil sector, intensifying pressure on Tehran amid escalating tensions in the Middle East. The Treasury Department’s latest measures focus on oil transport infrastructure, imposing restrictions on over two dozen individuals, companies, and vessels linked to Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, a prominent Iranian petroleum shipping magnate.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described the action as part of a broader “Economic Fury” campaign aimed at regime elites profiting from Iran’s oil revenues. The sanctions specifically target the Shamkhani network, which the US alleges operates through a web of consulting and shipping firms to circumvent existing restrictions.
The move comes as Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil shipping route, in response to US and Israeli military actions in the region. The United States has responded by implementing a naval blockade of Iranian ports and revoking a temporary waiver that had allowed the sale of Iranian oil already at sea.
The Treasury Department accuses the Shamkhani network of operating across Iran and the United Arab Emirates to evade sanctions through seemingly legitimate business entities. Last year, Washington imposed similar restrictions on companies associated with the network.
In addition to the oil sector sanctions, the US has targeted Seyed Naiemaei Badroddin Moosavi, identified as a financier for Hezbollah, and three companies allegedly involved in a complex money laundering scheme involving Iranian oil sales and Venezuelan gold.
The latest sanctions underscore Washington’s determination to limit Iran’s oil revenue generation as Tehran continues to threaten maritime security in the Persian Gulf. The measures form part of a broader strategy to exert economic pressure on Iran amid ongoing regional instability.
