U.S. Sanctions Iran Oil Entities Supporting IRGC-Quds Force

ICBPS- U.S. announced fresh sanctions and additional measures targeting the Islamic Republic of Iran’s petroleum sector for providing financial support to the IRGC Quds Force and Assad regime in Syria.

United States Department of the Treasury also designated multiple entities and individuals associated with the petroleum ministry, the oil company, and the tanker company, including front companies, subsidiaries, and senior executives. 

“Today, pursuant to Executive Order 13224 (as amended) the United States is imposing sanctions on several Iranian government entities and state-owned enterprises involved in Iran’s energy sector that have provided financial support to the IRGC-QF. We are also sanctioning several related individuals, entities, and vessels. These include sanctions on Iran’s Ministry of Petroleum and Minister of Petroleum, the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), the National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC), and 21 other individuals, entities, and vessels related to the provision of support or services to the IRGC-QF,” according to the State Department release. U.S. Sanctions Iran Oil

Further, Treasury designated four persons involved in the recent sale of Iranian gasoline to the Maduro regime in Venezuela.

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“NITC has also played a significant role in oil deals used to generate revenue for the IRGC-QF and Hizballah. NITC personnel coordinated with the IRGC-QF on the loading of oil provided by NIOC, and NITC Managing Director Nasrollah Sardashti (Sardashti) worked with Hizballah on logistics and pricing for oil shipments to Syria. Sardashti also worked with Qatirji Group representative Viyan Zanganeh (Zanganeh) and a senior IRGC-QF official to facilitate the shipment of millions of dollars of oil by NITC. In 2018, OFAC designated Syrian regime-affiliated Qatirji Group for facilitating fuel trades between the Syrian regime and the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), including providing oil products to ISIS-controlled territory. As of early 2020, the Qatirji Group’s Zanganeh continued to work closely with the IRGC-QF to coordinate NIOC’s provision of millions of barrels of oil and petroleum products to be shipped to Syria, as well as millions of dollars in payments back to Iran. In mid-2020, Zanganeh continued to act as an intermediary between the IRGC-QF and a Syrian regime-affiliated business, arranging for the funding of the release of a seized vessel and additional shipments of fuel oil.” 

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“These designations are an important step in the maximum pressure campaign to limit the Iranian regime’s ability to threaten its neighbors and destabilize the Middle East. Our action will further restrict the scope of activities permitted with the designated individuals and entities, further limiting the Iranian regime’s access to funds it uses to enrich itself and support terrorism around the world. The few remaining buyers of Iranian crude oil should know that they are helping to fund Iran’s malign activity across the Middle East, including its support for terrorism.” U.S. Sanctions Iran Oil