US imposes sanctions on maritime network supporting Iran's oil transportation

In the statement made by the US Treasury Department, it was reported that the "criminal network" supporting Iran's shadow fleet was targeted within the scope of the "Economic Exclusion" operation against Iran.

In this context, the statement stated that the India-based network managed by Suniel Kumar Sharma and his wife Jaspreet Preeti Shahid was added to the sanctions list, and it was claimed that these people provided false flags and certificates to sanctioned ships carrying Iranian oil.

In the statement, it was stated that the fake ship registries and maritime certificates created by the network in question allowed ships under sanctions to bypass international restrictions.

The statement noted that ships operating under false flags do not have any valid protection and compensation insurance, and warned that this could cause billions of dollars of damage to the economies of the countries in whose territorial waters these ships are located.

In the statement, it was noted that the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), in addition to Sharma and Shahid, also included two individuals connected to the network and several India-based companies on the sanctions list.

In his assessment of the issue, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said, "As we have stated many times, you are either for us or against us within the scope of Operation Economic Exclusion. We know where you are, we will impose sanctions on those who continue to support the Iranian regime, whether by land, sea or air." he said.