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The United States has unveiled a new set of sanctions aimed at Iran’s shipping sector, targeting over 100 individuals, companies, and vessels connected to the country. This action aligns with President Donald Trump’s efforts to heighten pressure on Tehran, especially after June’s airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. US officials state the goal is to prevent Iran from selling oil and to disrupt financial channels believed to sustain the regime.
The sanctions predominantly focus on the shipping operations of Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, son of Ali Shamkhani, who is an advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The US Treasury describes this as the most significant Iran-related sanctions since 2018, during Trump’s first term.
Treasury officials allege Shamkhani manages a large fleet of container ships and tankers through complex intermediaries, facilitating the global sale of Iranian and Russian oil and other goods. They accuse him of leveraging personal relationships and corruption in Tehran to generate tens of billions of dollars in profits, much of which supposedly supports the Iranian regime.
The new sanctions target 15 shipping companies, 52 vessels, 12 individuals, and 53 entities involved in sanctions evasion across 17 countries, from Panama to Italy and Hong Kong. A US official noted that these measures will make it significantly harder for Iran to export oil, though they don’t anticipate causing long-term disruptions to global markets. Iran’s oil exports have already declined to about 1.2 million barrels per day from 1.8 million earlier this year, following previous sanctions on its oil sector. The official added, “We’re still working on additional measures to push that number lower,” recalling that during Trump’s first term, exports were reduced to just a few hundred thousand barrels a day.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, described the sanctions as “a clear example of America’s hostility toward the Iranian people,” according to the country’s Student News Network. He argued they’re “an evil act designed to harm Iran’s economic growth and the welfare of its citizens.” China remains Iran’s largest customer for oil.
Earlier in July, the European Union also sanctioned Shamkhani over his role in the Russian oil trade. A US official emphasized that while the current action impacts both Russia and Iran, the primary focus remains on Iran. “Given his connection to the Supreme Leader and his father’s prior sanctions, this is fundamentally an Iran-focused measure — significant and impactful,” they stated. Ali Shamkhani, his father, was sanctioned by the US in 2020.
As hopes for renewed diplomatic negotiations between the US and Iran wane, following last month’s US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites, tensions remain high. Trump warned on Monday that further US strikes could follow if Iran attempts to restart the targeted nuclear sites. He also claimed Iran has been signaling hostility and vowed to suppress any plans to resume nuclear activity.
Before the June airstrikes, the US had held five rounds of negotiations with Iran. Trump alleged these strikes “destroyed” a nuclear program that Iran and Israel deny pursuing any such weapons. There is ongoing debate among experts regarding the extent of the damage done. A senior White House official last week affirmed that the US is still open to direct talks, though European and Iranian diplomats believe Tehran is unlikely to re-engage any time soon.
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