On February 24, 2025, the U.S. Department of State announced the designation of 16 entities and vessels for their involvement in Iran regime’s petroleum and petrochemical industry. This action, in conjunction with the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), sanctions a total of 22 persons and identifies 13 vessels as blocked property across multiple jurisdictions.
According to Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce, this network of illicit shipping facilitators has been obfuscating its role in loading and transporting Iranian oil for sale to buyers in Asia, shipping tens of millions of barrels of crude oil worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
“Today’s action represents an initial step to realize President Trump’s campaign of maximum pressure on the Iranian regime,” stated Bruce. “It disrupts efforts by Iran to amass oil revenues to fund terrorists’ activities.”
The sanctions are being imposed pursuant to Executive Orders 13902 and 13846, which target Iran’s petroleum and petrochemical sectors. This marks the second round of sanctions targeting Iranian oil sales since U.S. President Trump issued National Security Presidential Memorandum 2, ordering a campaign of maximum pressure on Iran.
The entities and individuals are added to OFAC’s Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) List. The sanctioned parties include:
Individuals:
- Abbass Asadrouz: An Iranian national linked to Iranian Oil Terminals Company.
- Hamid Bovard: An Iranian national.
- Gholamhossein Gerami: An Iranian national.
- Sayyed Ali Miri: An Iranian national linked to Iranian Oil Terminals Company.
- Ali Moalemi: An Iranian national linked to Iranian Oil Terminals Company.
Entities:
- Alkonost Maritime DMCC: Located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
- Artemis Heart Ltd: Located in Seychelles.
- Austinship Management Private Limited: Located in India.
- BSM Marine Limited Liability Partnership: Located in India.
- Cosmos Lines Inc: Located in India and Marshall Islands.
- Flux Maritime LLP: Located in India.
- Green Garden Trading Ltd: Located in Seychelles.
- IMS Ltd: Located in Malaysia.
- Iranian Oil Terminals Company: Located in Iran.
- Kangan Petro Refining Company: Located in Iran.
- Le Monde Marine Services Limited: Located in Liberia.
- NYCITY Shipmanagement Co Ltd: Located in China and Marshall Islands.
- Oceanend Shipping Ltd: Located in Seychelles.
- Octane Energy Group FZCO: Located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
- Petronix Energy Trading Limited: Located in Hong Kong, China.
- Petroquimico FZE: Located in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates.
- Sunny Land Trading Ltd: Located in Seychelles.
Vessels:
- AMAK: Eswatini flag.
- ASTERIX: Gambia flag.
- AYDEN: Panama flag.
- CASINOVA (a.k.a. YING GE): Barbados flag.
- CHAMTANG: Panama flag.
- FIONA: Panama flag.
- LYDIA II: Panama flag.
- MENG XIN: Panama flag.
- PETERPAUL: Panama flag.
- PHOENIX I: Cook Islands flag.
- URGANE I: Panama flag.
- VIOLET 1: Panama flag.
- YATEEKA: Gabon flag.
The U.S. Department of State vowed to continue disrupting illicit funding streams for Iran’s malign activities. “As long as Iran devotes its energy revenues to financing attacks on our allies, supporting terrorism around the world, or pursuing other destabilizing actions, we will use all the tools at our disposal to hold the regime accountable,” the press statement concluded.
