The United States hit Russian oil: Washington imposed new sanctions against Iran

The US Treasury announced new sanctions against Iran and eight tankers carrying Russian oil fell under them. Washington claims to be restricting the network of the Iranian oil tycoon.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the US Treasury Department has imposed new sanctions on Iran. More than two dozen individuals, companies and vessels fell under them. They allegedly work for Iranian oil tycoon Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, the son of the late high-ranking Iranian security official Ali Shamkhani.

"The Treasury Department is actively acting with economic fury, targeting the regime's elites, such as the Shamkhani family, who are trying to make money at the expense of the Iranian people," said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

The US Treasury Department claims that Shamkhani heads a multibillion-dollar Iranian and Russian oil empire.

The agency provides a list of nine sanctioned tankers. According to AIS vessels, eight of them are engaged in the transportation of Russian oil to India and China. Among them are Anaya, Anika, Bellaris, Cauvery, Daphne V, Horae, Silvar and Versa. At the same time, Bellaris is currently located in the Baltic port of Ust-Luga, and most of the rest are heading to Russian ports.

Earlier, the US Treasury Department did not extend temporary exemptions from sanctions for Russian oil. Experts noted to EADaily that Washington expected a drop in prices, but received a jump in prices, as the market could perceive this as evidence of the seriousness of the situation with a supply outage from The Persian Gulf. At the same time, the heads of Indian refineries told Bloomberg that they plan to continue high purchases of Russian oil even without new exemptions from US sanctions, since there are no other options.