US sanctions 15 entities over Iran ghost fleet operations

The United States is tightening the economic noose on the Islamic Republic: the Treasury Department announced a fresh round of sanctions against Iran, targeting the covert network Tehran uses to circumvent international embargoes.

The new measures impose personal and economic sanctions on five individuals and ten commercial companies suspected of actively supporting Iran's "ghost fleet", vessels used to smuggle oil and goods in violation of international restrictions. The main blow fell on major shipping industry players in India, alongside companies and individuals operating from Turkey and Singapore.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent issued a stark warning to anyone considering cooperation with Tehran. "As we have made clear repeatedly under Operation Economic Outcast, the rule is simple: you are either with us or against us," Bessent stated.

"We know exactly where you are," the Treasury Secretary added, emphasising that Washington will not hesitate to act across all arenas. "We will continue to impose sanctions on anyone who chooses to continue supporting the Iranian regime's mechanisms, whether operating on land, at sea or in the air."

The American move comes against the backdrop of Tehran's ongoing efforts to evade international sanctions. According to an investigation published by Reuters, Iran operates a secret network of more than 5,000 entities registered under names beginning with the letters MOD, short for Ministry of Defence. Since January, the network has imported at least two billion dollars in military hardware, explosives and heavy trucks.

All entities in the network share the address of the Defence Ministry in Tehran and the same official incorporation date: 11 February 1979, the day Ayatollah Khomeini rose to power. But according to records, most were actually established in 2013, when sanctions weighed heavily on the Iranian economy. Some are linked to the Revolutionary Guards and to economic foundations controlled by the elite.

"What you have here is the military lifeblood of the regime during this confrontation and for many years before it," said Miad Maleki, a former senior official at the US Treasury Department who helped design the sanctions programme against Iran. "This is the complete ecosystem of the Iranian military's trade business."

The economic pressure comes amid heightened security preparations in the region. The United States has deployed to the Middle East the RC-135U spy and reconnaissance aircraft, of which only two are operational worldwide. The aircraft is designed for advanced signals intelligence and strategic reconnaissance missions, and operates to detect, map and analyse radar systems and air defence networks.

The new sanctions join the extensive sanctions regime the United States has imposed on Iran in recent years, aimed at choking Tehran's ability to fund its military and nuclear activities. The latest move demonstrates American determination to increase pressure on anyone helping the Iranian regime evade the international embargo.