Sanctions mentioned to focus on delivery community managed by Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, the son of a high adviser to Iran’s Supreme Chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The US Division of the Treasury has imposed new sanctions on greater than 100 Iran-linked people, firms and ocean-going vessels in what it described as its “largest Iran-related motion since 2018”.
The sanctions, introduced on Wednesday, goal greater than 50 vessels which the Treasury Division describes as being a part of a “huge delivery empire” of oil tankers and container ships managed by Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, the son of a senior political adviser to Iran’s Supreme Chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
“This community transports oil and petroleum merchandise from Iran and Russia, in addition to different cargo, to patrons world wide, producing tens of billions of {dollars} in revenue,” the Treasury Division mentioned in a press release, describing the sanctions package deal as a “large motion” in opposition to an Iranian household community.
“The Shamkhani household’s delivery empire highlights how the Iranian regime elites leverage their positions to accrue large wealth and fund the regime’s harmful behaviour,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent mentioned.
Bessent mentioned the sanctions on 115 people, entities and vessels have been “the most important to-date for the reason that Trump Administration applied our marketing campaign of most stress on Iran”.
An Iranian Ministry of International Affairs spokesperson referred to as the new sanctions “a transparent instance of America’s hostility in direction of the Iranian nation”, in keeping with the nation’s Scholar Information Community.
In response to a US Treasury assertion, the Shamkhani household controls a good portion of Iran’s crude oil exports and whereas Ali Shamkhani – father of Hossein and adviser to Supreme Chief Khamenei – was sanctioned by the US in 2020, the household owns unique properties world wide and has obtained overseas passports, which permit them to “journey undetected” to conduct enterprise abroad.
“Layers of entrance firms with an innocuous look and no simply discernible connection to Hossein’s community enable it to accrue huge income whereas avoiding exterior scrutiny,” the division mentioned.
In whole, the brand new sanctions goal 15 delivery corporations, 52 vessels, 12 people and 53 entities concerned in sanctions evasion in 17 international locations, starting from Panama to Italy to Hong Kong, the Reuters information company studies.
A US official informed the information company that the sanctions would make it “far more tough” for Iran to promote its oil, however added that the US administration didn’t anticipate any sustained disruption to world oil markets.
China is the highest worldwide purchaser of Iran’s oil.
The newly introduced sanctions come after Iranian International Minister Abbas Araghchi mentioned any new act of aggression in opposition to Iran will result in a powerful response.
Posting on social media on Monday, Araghchi responded to feedback by US President Donald Trump, who threatened new assaults on Iran if the nation makes an attempt to restart its nuclear programme.
“Iran, a nation with a wealthy tradition originating from 7,000 years of civilisation, won’t ever reply to the language of risk and intimidation. Iranians have by no means bowed down earlier than any foreigners and reply solely to respect,” Araghchi wrote on X.
“Iran is aware of precisely what occurred through the latest American-Israeli aggression, each to us and our adversaries – together with the extent of blows which are nonetheless being censored. If aggression is repeated, we is not going to hesitate to react in a extra decisive method and in a method that shall be IMPOSSIBLE to cowl up,” he mentioned.
“Nobody of their proper thoughts would abandon the fruits of super funding in homegrown and peaceable expertise which is saving lives – and just because [bullying] foreigners demand it,” he added.
Iran, a nation with a wealthy tradition originating from 7000 years of civilization, won’t ever reply to the language of risk and intimidation. Iranians have by no means bowed down earlier than any foreigners and reply solely to respect.
Iran is aware of precisely what occurred through the latest…
— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) July 28, 2025
