3
US-Israel-Iran War Latest Live News: The United States has stepped up its economic pressure on Iran with a fresh round of sanctions aimed at the maritime network that Washington says helps Tehran move oil and generate revenue despite existing restrictions. The latest action targets companies, individuals and vessels connected to Iran’s oil and petrochemical trade across several countries.
The US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced the measures on Thursday as part of Operation Economic Outcast, the Trump administration’s wider campaign to restrict Iran’s sources of revenue. Reuters reported that the action focuses on people and networks involved in transporting Iranian crude, petroleum products and petrochemicals.
US-Israel-Iran War Latest Live News: 27 Companies, 6 Individuals and 22 Vessels Targeted
According to the Treasury announcement provided in the latest sanctions notice, the new measures cover 27 companies, six individuals and 22 vessels.
The targets span multiple jurisdictions, including India, Türkiye, China, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the Marshall Islands.
OFAC said, “The designations target shipping operators, maritime management companies, and trading firms across several countries including India, Turkiye, China, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the Marshall Islands,” OFAC said in a statement.
The Treasury added, “The sanctioned vessels include crude oil, petroleum products, liquefied petroleum gas, chemical and bitumen tankers operating under various national flags.”
The latest action comes as Washington continues to focus on Iran’s maritime trade and the network of vessels and companies that allegedly helps Tehran bypass sanctions.
US-Israel-Iran War Latest Live News: US Targets Iran’s Shadow Fleet
A major focus of the new measures is Iran’s so-called shadow fleet — a network of tankers, shipping companies and intermediaries used to transport and sell Iranian oil outside normal channels.
Reuters reported that the latest US action specifically targets 17 vessels involved in moving Iranian crude oil, petroleum products and petrochemicals. The ships have reportedly operated across more than a dozen jurisdictions.
A Treasury official described the action as a major blow to Iran’s remaining maritime infrastructure.
“Today’s action represents the most significant blow yet to Iran’s remaining illicit maritime infrastructure by neutralizing the vast majority of the shadow fleet,” a Treasury official told reporters in a call.
The official added, “Treasury is cutting off the regime’s last major source of illicit revenue and strengthening international pressure to hold Tehran accountable.”
US-Israel-Iran War Latest Live News: What is Operation Economic Outcast?
Operation Economic Outcast is the Trump administration’s campaign to put additional financial pressure on Tehran. The US says the initiative aims to reduce money available to Iran for its military activities, missile programme, cyber operations and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The latest sanctions follow another major Treasury action earlier this month against the A7 Network, which Washington accused of helping Iran and other actors move illicit funds and evade sanctions.
The Treasury has increasingly targeted not only Iranian entities but also overseas companies, financial networks and intermediaries that Washington says help Tehran bypass restrictions.
US-Israel-Iran War Latest Live News: Indian Nationals and Companies Also in Focus
The new sanctions have an international reach, with the Treasury saying that several Indian nationals and a Turkish citizen were among those designated. The inclusion of India is significant because the latest action covers shipping and trading networks operating across multiple countries rather than focusing only on entities based inside Iran.
The US has increasingly used secondary sanctions to pressure companies and individuals outside Iran that it says facilitate Iranian oil exports or sanctions evasion.
US-Israel-Iran War Latest Live News: US Moves Against Iran’s Oil Revenue
The sanctions come after Washington reimposed its blockade of Iranian ports on July 14, following the collapse of a memorandum of understanding between Tehran and Washington, according to Reuters. The Treasury said Iran still had around 20 million barrels of crude oil on vessels outside the blockade.
That figure is relatively small compared with global oil consumption, which stands at roughly 100 million barrels per day, according to the Treasury official cited by Reuters. The US sanctions are therefore designed not only to target individual shipments but also to make it harder for Iran to maintain the network needed to transport and sell its oil.
US-Israel-Iran War Latest Live News: Strait of Hormuz Adds to Oil Market Pressure
The sanctions arrive as the wider US-Israel-Iran conflict continues to disrupt maritime traffic around the Gulf.
The Strait of Hormuz has become a major pressure point for global energy markets. Reuters reported that vessel traffic through the waterway fell to its lowest level in more than two months after a series of attacks on tankers. Seven commodity vessels crossed the strait on Tuesday, while crude movements fell to about 10.1 million barrels per day.
The disruption has contributed to volatility in oil prices, with markets reacting to concerns over potential supply shortages and further attacks on commercial shipping.
The latest US sanctions could add another layer of pressure to Iran’s oil exports at a time when shipping companies are already facing increased risks in the region.
US-Israel-Iran War Latest Live News: What Happens Next?
The new sanctions are likely to increase pressure on companies involved in Iranian oil transportation and trading. Businesses connected to the designated entities and vessels could face restrictions on dealing with the sanctioned network.
The move also shows that Washington is expanding its campaign beyond direct Iranian targets to the international infrastructure that supports Tehran’s oil trade.
With the US continuing its blockade and Iran facing increased pressure on maritime exports, the shadow fleet and the Strait of Hormuz are likely to remain key issues for both the conflict and global energy markets.