The United States has levied sanctions against six companies and multiple vessels for their alleged involvement in the illicit sale and transportation of Iranian petroleum and petrochemical products. This action, announced jointly by the State Department and the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), targets a network of shipping and management firms accused of assisting Iran in circumventing existing US sanctions.

Among the sanctioned entities are two companies with operations in South Asia: SAI Saburi Consulting Services, based in New Delhi, India, and Alliance Energy Pvt Ltd, located in Lahore, Pakistan. SAI Saburi is implicated in the management of LPG tankers that transported Iranian petroleum products. Alliance Energy, already blacklisted for past sanctions violations, is further penalized for its continued role in the Iranian oil trade.

The sanctions come on the heels of recent Israeli and US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that these measures are part of a broader strategy to intensify economic pressure on Tehran, targeting its revenue streams and disrupting its access to funds used for destabilizing activities.

Other companies sanctioned are based in the UAE, Iran, and Panama. The US government also sanctioned the vessels operated by these companies. This action underscores the US commitment to enforcing the Trump administration’s “maximum pressure” policy on Iran.