An American Official: The Islamic Republic Moves Oil with Help from 'Entities Based in Malaysia'

A senior official from the U.S. Treasury Department stated that the Islamic Republic relies on service providers based in Malaysia to transfer its oil. According to him, this oil is distributed throughout the region after being transferred near Singapore. This American official said during a press conference on Tuesday, May 7, that the United States is working to prevent Malaysia from becoming a hub where Hamas can raise and transfer funds. He further added, 'We are concerned about Hamas's capacity to raise funds in the region, including in Malaysia, so we want to discuss these concerns.' This American official described the increased efforts of the Islamic Republic and its affiliated groups to raise money in the region, which in some cases occurs through charities, as 'worrisome.' He stated without referencing any specific charity, 'It is horrifying that they want to misuse the funds raised to help Palestinians for violent and destabilizing activities.' Brian Nelson, the Deputy Treasury Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, and Neil McBride, the Treasury's General Counsel, are in Singapore and Malaysia from Monday to Thursday. According to the department, their trip aims to advance efforts against the financing and revenue generation of the Islamic Republic and its affiliates. During this trip, American officials will specifically discuss the transfer of oil from the Islamic Republic and service providers to this country with Malaysian officials. The U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions last December against four Malaysia-based companies for allegedly supporting the production of drones for the Islamic Republic. According to this senior U.S. Treasury official, sanctions and export controls against Russia are progressing. He added that the price cap on Russian oil is reducing Moscow's revenue and stabilizing global energy markets. Source: Reuters.