The United States imposed sanctions on Thursday on Iran's Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad and some Hong Kong-flagged vessels that are part of a shadow fleet that helps disguise Iranian oil shipments, the Treasury Department said.
President Donald Trumpre-imposed "maximum pressure" policy on Iran in February that includes efforts to drive its oil exports to zero in order to stop Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and funding militant groups.
Paknejad "oversees the export of tens of billions of dollars’ worth of Iranian oil and has allocated billions of dollars’ worth of oil to Iran’s armed forces for export," Treasury said in a statement.
“The Iranian regime continues to use the proceeds from the nation’s vast oil resources to advance its narrow, alarming self-interests at the expense of the Iranian people,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement.
“Treasury will fight and disrupt any attempts by the regime to fund its destabilizing activities and further its dangerous agenda.”
Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.
Treasury also designated owners or operators of vessels that have delivered Iranian oil to China or lifted it from storage there, it said. Those were in multiple jurisdictions, including India and China, it said.
Iran's military relies on a vast shadow fleet of ships to disguise shipments of oil worth billions of dollars to China.
Thursday's designated vessels include the Hong Kong-flagged Peace Hill and its owner Hong Kong Heshun Transportation Trading Limited, the Iran-flagged Polaris 1, the Seychelles-registered Fallon Shipping Company Ltd, and the Liberia-registered Itaugua Services Inc, Treasury said.
It also designated the Panama-flagged Corona Fun, which it said has manipulated automatic identification systems to disguise efforts to ship Iranian oil, and the San Marino-flagged Seasky, for transporting fuel oil on behalf of Iran's national oil company to China.
The sanctions block U.S. assets of the designated entities and prohibit Americans from engaging in any transactions with them.
The U.S. Department of State is designating three entities and three vessels as blocked property, it said.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated on Monday that a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip alone is insufficient to resolve the conflict. He emphasised...
Bitcoin hit a new all-time high on Monday morning, surpassing the $123,000 mark and gaining over 4% during the day....
A 6.2-magnitude earthquake has struck off the coast of Panama, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS)...
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has urged the White House to take immediate steps to address the growing threat of drone attacks on the United States, ...
Accidental poisonings among young children in the U.S. are rising sharply due to nicotine pouches and vaping, with a study warning of serious health r...
Iran has warned it will respond to any move by Western powers to reinstate United Nations sanctions over its nuclear programme, though it has not specified what form that response would take. The statement came from Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei during a press conference on Monday.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi will pay an official visit to China today, with a goal to participate in a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers. The meeting will be held in Tianjin on 15th July.
Iran has opened the first phase of its largest solar power plant as part of a major government programme to expand renewable energy capacity.
The Pentagon confirmed that one Iranian ballistic missile struck the U.S. Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar last month, causing minimal damage. Most missiles were intercepted by U.S. and Qatari air defenses during the largest Patriot missile engagement in U.S. history.
A series of earthquakes have struck Guatemala on Tuesday afternoon, leading authorities to advise residents to evacuate from buildings as a precaution against possible aftershocks.
Australian researchers have created a groundbreaking “biological AI” platform that could revolutionise drug discovery by rapidly evolving molecules within mammalian cells.
Dozens of international and domestic flights were cancelled or delayed after Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki erupted on Monday, but Bali’s main airport remains operational.
French member of parliament Olivier Marleix was found dead at his home on Monday, with suicide being considered a possible cause.
A man was gored and seven others injured during the adrenaline-charged second day of Spain's iconic San Fermin bull running festival in Pamplona.
An Italian court has placed LVMH group's high-end Italian cashmere firm Loro Piana under judicial administration for a year after allegedly uncovering worker abuse inside its supply chain, in the latest in a string of cases that have tainted the image of Italy's luxury brand
A Moscow court has ruled that the assets of U.S.-owned canned food company Glavprodukt be handed over to the Russian state, the TASS news agency reported late on Friday, ending a months-long legal tussle over the company.
U.S. shoppers spent a record $24.1 billion online between 8 and 11 July as 'Black Friday-in-summer' discounts sparked a 30 % year-on-year jump, according to Adobe Analytics.
According to a Wall Street Journal report on Saturday, SpaceX is investing $2 billion into xAI as part of a broader $5 billion equity funding round, strengthening the connection between Elon Musk’s various ventures.
European shares dropped on Friday after President Donald Trump intensified tariff threats against the EU, casting doubt on trade talks and dampening investor confidence.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment