New US Sanctions Against Oil Tankers Linked to the Islamic Republic of Iran

The United States Treasury Department has updated its terrorism sanctions list to include 15 oil tankers associated with Iran under secondary sanctions. The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) listed the names and details of these 15 Panama-flagged oil tankers on Thursday, June 8. A Nigerian citizen and an Iraqi have also been subjected to secondary sanctions in this context. On Tuesday, OFAC had previously sanctioned a network of 7 individuals and 6 entities in Iran, China, and Hong Kong related to the Islamic Republic's ballistic missile program. According to the OFAC statement, this network facilitated financial transactions and provided critical components and technology necessary for key players in the Islamic Republic's ballistic missile development program, including the Ministry of Defense and its affiliated organizations, Parchin Chemical Industries, the Aerospace Industries Organization, Iran Electronics Industries, and P B Sadr. Recently, several American senators drafted the "Stop the Islamic Republic Oil Tankers Act," which aims to make the illegal purchase of Iranian oil more difficult and to sanction and hold accountable the financial supporters of the Islamic Republic. The Islamic Republic has deemed its missile activities as "legitimate." Senator Jim Risch's reaction to the sanctions on individuals and entities linked to the Islamic Republic's missile program has also been noted. The uncertainty surrounding the JCPOA coincides with the anniversary of the US withdrawal from this agreement; Jalili stated that repeating the JCPOA means repeating a bitter experience.