[The United States Imposes New Sanctions Targeting Iran's Oil Tycoon]
The United States has launched a new round of sanctions pressure against Iran. According to reporting by the UK's Guardian, on April 15, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced new sanctions targeting Iran’s oil transportation system, primarily focusing on the business network led by Iranian oil shipping magnate Shamhani. Individuals, companies, and vessels associated with this network have been placed on the U.S. sanctions blacklist. In a statement, Bessenet said: "The U.S. is actively wielding 'economic fury' to target political elites like the Shamhani family, directly severing high-level financial inflows and revenue channels for Iran’s leadership."
Shamhani is the son of Ali Shamhani, a deceased senior advisor close to Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei. Ali Shamhani had a very close relationship with Khamenei, serving as one of his key deputies. Last year, during an Israeli strike on Iran, Ali Shamhani narrowly escaped death. However, in this year’s aerial assault, Ali Shamhani was killed alongside Khamenei.
For years, Shamhani has leveraged his father’s powerful position in Iran’s political sphere to build a vast commercial empire centered around shipping. It is reported that Shamhani’s business network mainly operates between Iran and the UAE. Using a series of ostensibly legitimate consulting and shipping firms, the network evades sanctions. These companies primarily manage the fleet under Shamhani’s commercial holdings, with a significant portion of the vessels dedicated exclusively to exporting Iran’s oil overseas.
Notably, during the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Shamhani’s fleet frequently transported aid supplies from Iran across the Caspian Sea to Russia.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1862621536714760/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.