The US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control has designated 12 individuals and entities accused of enabling the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to sell and ship Iranian oil to China, according to the US Department of the Treasury.
The sanctions target three Iran-based officials of the IRGC Shahid Purja’fari Oil Headquarters and nine companies in Hong Kong, the UAE and Oman that OFAC said arranged oil sales, tanker shipments and overseas payments.
OFAC named Hong Kong Blue Ocean Limited, Hong Kong Sanmu Limited, Ocean Allianz Shipping LLC, Zeus Logistics Group, Jiandi HK Limited, Max Honor International Trade Co., Limited, Atic Energy FZE, Blanca Goods Wholesaler LLC and Universal Fortune Trading LLC.
The agency linked the network to shipments carried on sanctioned tankers including GAGAN (IMO 9256468), CANGJIE (IMO 9299680), HASNA (IMO 9212917), HANSON (IMO 9237412), OTLA (IMO 9299719), SCALER (IMO 9254915), BELLA 1 (IMO 9230880), ANDROMEDA V (IMO 9197832), XD LEO (IMO 9312872) and SKIPPER (IMO 9304667).
OFAC said some 2025 cargoes were worth tens of millions of dollars. Max Honor International Trade Co., Limited was accused of buying millions of barrels of Iranian oil from the IRGC.
The sanctions were imposed under Executive Order 13224. US-linked property of the designated parties is blocked, and US persons are generally barred from transactions involving them. OFAC also warned that foreign financial institutions may face secondary sanctions for certain dealings with the designated persons.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control is the US Treasury unit responsible for administering and enforcing economic and trade sanctions.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is an Iranian military organisation designated by OFAC under US counterterrorism sanctions authorities.
National Iranian Oil Company is Iran’s state-owned oil company and was designated by OFAC in 2020 under Executive Order 13224.
Hong Kong Blue Ocean Limited, Hong Kong Sanmu Limited, Jiandi HK Limited and Max Honor International Trade Co., Limited are Hong Kong-registered entities named in the sanctions action.
Ocean Allianz Shipping LLC, Blanca Goods Wholesaler LLC and Universal Fortune Trading LLC are Dubai-based entities named by OFAC.
Atic Energy FZE is based in Sharjah, while Zeus Logistics Group is based in Oman.
