The United States on Thursday sanctioned 22 tankers and dozens of individuals and companies linked to the trade of Iranian oil. This action is aimed at cutting Tehran's oil revenues at a time when a naval blockade by the U.S. Navy has restricted Iran's exports.
Details of the Sanctions
The U.S. Department of the Treasury identified 17 tankers and their associated companies under the Economic Migration operation, while the Department of State sanctioned five additional tankers, 10 entities, and six individuals involved in the trade of Iranian oil and petrochemical products.
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The Treasury Department announced that these actions have effectively neutralized the majority of Iran's shadow tanker network, which includes aging tankers and offshore companies. This network has helped Tehran transfer billions of dollars' worth of oil and petrochemical products to foreign markets despite years of U.S. sanctions. However, maritime tracking experts have reported that a significant number of tankers associated with Iran remain outside of U.S. sanctions.
Targeted Tankers
Among the newly sanctioned tankers is the crude oil tanker SHENZHEN, flagged in Cameroon, which has carried over 3.5 million barrels of Iranian crude oil since November 2025. The tanker TINA 5, flagged in Vanuatu, has also drawn attention for allegedly carrying over 1.5 million barrels of Iranian crude oil in August.
Other targeted tankers include the STARWAY, flagged in Panama, and KING CHAIN, flagged in Cameroon, which have transported millions of barrels of naphtha and methanol from Iran to markets in China and elsewhere around the world.
These sanctions also encompass the companies behind these tankers and target the ownership and operational networks used to transport Iranian shipments through international markets.
Thursday's action is another step in the Economic Migration operation, which began on August 24 to economically isolate Iran and disrupt the financial networks supporting its government. The Treasury Department emphasized that these sanctions will further restrict the remaining channels Iran uses to evade sanctions and generate revenue from oil and petrochemical exports.
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