To suppress the protests
FOLLOWING UN CONDEMNATION, THE US TREASURY TARGETS AN OIL FLEET PARALLEL TO THE IRANIAN REGIME.
The US Treasury Department announced on Friday (January 23, 2026) a new package of sanctions targeting what it described as the “parallel fleet” used by the Iranian regime to smuggle oil and finance its security apparatus and regional proxies, in response to what Washington considered a “brutal crackdown” against peaceful protesters and a complete internet blackout inside Iran.
A statement from the ministry, translated by Baghdad Today, said that the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed sanctions on nine ships and a number of companies that own or operate them, after they were involved in transporting hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of Iranian oil and petroleum products to foreign markets, indicating that these revenues are “the right of the Iranian people” but are used, according to the statement, to finance armed groups, weapons programs and security agencies instead of being directed to basic services.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that “the Iranian regime is engaging in economic self-destruction, accelerated by President Trump’s maximum pressure campaign,” noting that Tehran’s decision to “support terrorists at the expense of its own people” has led to currency collapse and deteriorating living conditions. He emphasized that today’s sanctions target a “critical element” in financing repression inside Iran, and that the Treasury will continue to pursue the tens of millions of dollars that the regime “is stealing and attempting to smuggle through foreign banks.”
The statement noted that the new measure was issued pursuant to Executive Order 13902 concerning the oil and petrochemical sectors in Iran, and as a continuation of the sanctions campaign targeting Iranian oil exports in support of the second National Security Presidential Memorandum (NSPM-2) aimed at imposing “maximum economic pressure” on Tehran.
According to the Treasury Department, the sanctions targeted ships flying the flags of various countries, including the Seabird, AVON, AL DIAB II, CESARIA, LONGEVITY 7, EASTERN HERO, AQUA SPIRIT, CHIRON 5 and KEEL, as well as companies in the UAE, India, Oman, Seychelles, Marshall Islands, Panama and Liberia, as part of the network transporting Iranian oil to East Asia, Pakistan, Somalia and other countries since 2025.
The US Treasury confirmed that all assets and interests of the individuals, companies, and vessels subject to the sanctions are frozen within the United States or within US jurisdiction, and that dealing with them or providing services to them by Americans or through the US financial system is prohibited, while warning that individuals and financial institutions around the world may be subject to potential sanctions if they deal with the listed entities.
The statement noted that the goal of the sanctions “is not punishment in itself, but rather changing the behavior of the regime,” while pointing out that there are mechanisms to remove individuals and entities from the sanctions lists if legal criteria are met, and calling on those wishing to request removal to review the Office of Foreign Assets Control’s guidelines on removal procedures from the lists.
This escalation in sanctions comes after the adoption of a resolution at the UN Human Rights Council, which, by a majority of 22 votes, condemned the Iranian regime’s crackdown on peaceful protesters and called on Tehran to stop the excessive use of force, respect human rights and ensure accountability for violations.