In an unsurprising move, the US has just announced that they will be increasing economic sanctions targeting those aiding Iran, and the country will be renewing efforts to weaken the Iranian regime in the coming months. The Trump administration has been vocal and adamant about putting “maximum pressure” on oil exports coming from Tehran, so it makes sense that these most recent sanctions are targeting tankers that helped provide ship-to-ship operations aiding Iran.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) plays a critical role in upholding and protecting US national security.

This agency does its part in protecting the US by creating, upholding, and enforcing various economic and trade sanctions to deter enemies, prevent funding adversaries, and maintain current power structures across the globe.

The OFAC has just recently put new sanctions on Mohsen Paknejad, Iran’s oil minister, who was already previously facing multiple sanctions from 2024. Paknejad is specifically being targeted for overseeing Iran’s oil industry, which generates billions of dollars’ annually for the country. The OFAC alleges that Paknejad has provided Iran’s armed forces with billions of dollars of oil to supplement their budget.

The OFAC also sanctioned members of Iran’s “shadow fleet”. This “shadow fleet” is made up of various vessels that are working for Iran to deliver oil to the People’s Republic of China. Some vessels were also accused of transporting Iranian oil that had been placed in storage facilities in China.

Three Indonesia-flagged tugs, Malili, Sobar, and Dune, were also sanctioned and accused of providing ship-to-ship transfers of Iranian oil in the waters off Singapore. These three tugs were specifically targeted to send the message that every link in Iran’s sanction evasion network will be sought after and penalized.

Since President Trump came to power, the OFAC has sanctioned various oil tankers in three rounds of penalties. In all, over 2.1M DWT of shipping vessels has been added to the blacklist in the past three months.

The goal of these targeted efforts is to reduce Iran’s oil exports to zero.

Why You Need to Keep Up With OFAC Sanctions

OFAC sanctions exist to protect US interests and security, so it makes sense that violating them would be considered a major offense. If you’re found in violation of OFAC sanctions, then you’ll face significant consequences even if you didn’t intend to violate the law or were unaware of the sanctions.

A violation can result in up to 20 years in prison if the violation is intentional. Violations also result in substantial monetary fines even when no criminal intent exists. If you violate OFAC sanctions, then you’re also likely to lose your business license. You might also lose the privilege of exporting goods out of the country.

Do you need help remaining compliant with OFAC sanctions? Are you currently facing OFAC sanctions violation charges?

Here at Bukh Global, our team of attorneys can help you navigate your situation and determine your best options. Schedule a confidential call with our office now to talk about your situation further with our attorneys.