The United States imposed sanctions on Thursday against a ring involved in smuggling Iranian oil disguised as Iraqi through a financial institution controlled by the Lebanese group “Hezbollah“. This was reported by Reuters, citing a statement from the US Treasury Department, News.bg reports.
According to US authorities, the ring is run by Iraqi-British citizen Salim Ahmed Said, who through a group of companies purchases and transports billions of dollars worth of Iranian oil. Since at least 2020, oil shipments have been presented as Iraqi or mixed with such oil to disguise and circumvent sanctions.
“The Treasury Department will continue to pursue Tehran's sources of revenue and increase economic pressure to prevent the regime from financing its destabilizing activities,“ Treasury Secretary Scott Besant said.
The United States has imposed sanctions on Iran's oil sector for years over the country's nuclear program and its funding of militant groups in the Middle East.
Reuters earlier reported that a fuel oil smuggling ring generating more than $1 billion a year for Iran and its proxies had been operating in Iraq since 2022.
The new sanctions package was announced in the context of the latest US strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites on June 22, including the heavily guarded Fordow uranium enrichment plant. According to the Pentagon, these strikes have set back Iran's nuclear program by up to two years - significantly more than initially planned. public assessments.
New talks between the US and Iran on the nuclear program are expected to be held in Oslo next week, Axios reports.
Smuggling through forged documents and a “shadow fleet“
The Treasury Department revealed that companies and ships controlled by Saeed mixed Iranian oil with Iraqi and resold it to Western customers through Iraq or the United Arab Emirates using forged documents. This way, the oil shipments were presented as legitimate, in order to circumvent international sanctions.
Saeed controls the UAE-based company VS Tankers, although he seeks to avoid being officially associated with it. Its former name was Al-Iraqia Shipping Services & Oil Trading (AISSOT). According to US information, VS Tankers illegally transported Iranian oil for the benefit of the Iranian government and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps – designated by Washington as a terrorist organization.
The sanctions include blocking the assets of the sanctioned individuals and companies on US territory, as well as a ban on American citizens and companies from doing business with them.
VS Tankers has denied the allegations and said it will take all necessary legal action to protect its interests. Iran's mission to the UN has not made an official comment.
Sanctions also against a structure linked to “Hezbollah“
In addition to the sanctions against oil trafficking, the US has also punished several ships involved in the illegal transport of Iranian oil, increasing pressure on the so-called “shadow fleet“ of Iran.
The Treasury Department has also imposed additional sanctions against senior officials and an organization linked to the Lebanese financial institution Al-Qard Al-Hassan, which is under the control of “Hezbollah“. According to the department, these individuals conducted transactions worth millions of dollars in favor of the group, concealing the ultimate beneficiaries of the funds.
With the new measures, Washington continues its policy of economic and financial pressure on Tehran and its allied networks.