The United States has sanctioned 14 nautical vessels as part of what it calls a “shadow fleet” circumventing restrictions on the transport of Iranian oil and petroleum products,
Al Jazeera reports.
In addition, the country’s Department of State also announced sanctions against two people and 15 entities — including ship management companies based in countries like China, Liberia and Turkiye — for having “traded in Iranian-origin crude oil, petroleum products or petrochemical products”.
The US has a long history of sanctions against Iran and its oil sector. But the latest slate of sanctions on Friday comes as the two countries hold talks in Oman to try to lessen the escalating tensions between them.
In a statement on Friday, the US State Department signalled that the new sanctions were designed to support the antigovernment protests that have gripped Iran in recent months.
“Time and time again, the Iranian government has prioritized its destabilizing behavior over the safety and security of its own citizens, as demonstrated by the regime’s mass murder of peaceful protestors,” the statement read.
