The United States has imposed sanctions on 14 ships and the companies that operate them to stop Iran’s exports of crude oil, petroleum products, and petrochemicals.
The move comes after US and Iranian officials held talks in Oman, which reportedly included direct meetings between representatives of the two countries.
The sanctions also target 15 companies and two individuals linked to the transport and trade of Iranian energy products.
US officials said the action is aimed at cutting off sources of revenue that Tehran uses for activities the US considers harmful.
The sanctioned vessels are part of a “shadow fleet” that transports Iranian petroleum and petrochemical products through networks that often hide the cargo’s origin.
These practices allow Iran to sell to buyers in other countries while avoiding international scrutiny.
Some of the key companies and ships affected include:
ALL WIN SHIPPING MANAGEMENT LIMITED (Barbados) – Manager of crude oil tanker VICSCENE, which carried Iranian crude between March and April 2025.
MANARAT ALKHALEEJ MARINE SERVICES FZE (UAE) – Managed OCEAN GUARDIAN and AL SAFA, completing at least 30 shipments from Iran in 2025.
QINGDAO OCEAN KIMO SHIP MANAGEMENT CO LTD (China) – Managed BENLAI, transporting Iranian crude at least once in 2025.
VICENS MARINE CO (Marshall Islands) – Managed AQUA LIVE, a false-flagged tanker carrying Iranian crude.
SHANGHAI QIZHANG SHIP MANAGEMENT CO., LTD (China) – Managed YONGHENG OCEAN, carrying Iranian petrochemical products at least five times since July 2023.
ELYSIAN HORIZON CORP (Seychelles) – Managed ZEVS, transporting Iranian crude three times between March and May 2025.
FLUXUS MARINE INC (Kazakhstan) – Managed VETER, a Cameroon-flagged tanker carrying Iranian crude in 2025.
MPHASIS MARINE SOLUTIONS FZE (UAE) – Managed LPG tankers RAYYAN GAS and GAZ CRYSTAL, transporting Iranian ammonia and petrochemicals multiple times in 2025.
MHK SHIPPING CORP (Türkiye) – Managed LPG tankers FORTUNE GAS and GAS RIVER, which carried Iranian ammonia at least ten times in 2025.
MARS OCEANWAY INC (Türkiye) – Managed WHITE SHARK, transporting Iranian ammonia and LPG at least five times in 2025.
ELEVATE MARINE MANAGEMENT PRIVATE LIMITED (India) – Managed BENEDICT, transporting Iranian petroleum products on three occasions between September and November 2025. The company’s director, Akash Anant Shinde, was also sanctioned.
The US State Department said these companies and vessels regularly engaged in deceptive shipping practices, which put legitimate trade and other ships at risk.
Each entity was sanctioned under Executive Order 13846 for knowingly participating in significant transactions involving Iranian petroleum or petrochemical products.
References: US Governent, Reuters
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