The United States Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has announced sweeping sanctions targeting over 50 individuals, companies, and vessels allegedly involved in facilitating Iran’s energy exports, including several Indian nationals.

The move is part of Washington’s ongoing effort to curb Tehran’s ability to generate revenue from oil and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) sales, which the U.S. claims fund terrorist activities threatening its interests.

According to the Treasury’s statement, the newly sanctioned network was responsible for moving billions of dollars’ worth of Iranian petroleum products across international markets. This includes hundreds of millions of dollars in LPG shipments, nearly two dozen “shadow fleet” tankers, and foreign entities and terminals based in China that have played key roles in enabling Iran’s covert energy trade despite international restrictions.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the latest measures represent a continued determination by the U.S. administration under President Trump to “degrade Iran’s cash flow” and obstruct the regime’s financial support to militant groups. He emphasised that dismantling Iran’s export network is crucial to limiting its capacity to destabilise the Middle East.

Among those sanctioned are three Indian nationals — Varun Pula, Soniya Shrestha, and Iyappan Raja — who, according to OFAC, directly or indirectly supported shipping operations connected to Iranian petroleum exports. These individuals were designated under Executive Order 13902, which authorizes penalties against persons involved in Iran’s energy, shipping, and petrochemical sectors.

Varun Pula is identified as the owner of Marshall Islands-based Bertha Shipping Inc., which operates the Comoros-flagged vessel PAMIR (IMO 9208239). The vessel is alleged to have transported nearly four million barrels of Iranian LPG to China since July 2024. Similarly, Iyappan Raja owns Evie Lines Inc., also based in the Marshall Islands, operating the Panama-flagged tanker SAPPHIRE GAS (IMO 9320738), which reportedly delivered over one million barrels of Iranian LPG to China since April 2025.

Another Indian national, Soniya Shrestha, was sanctioned as the owner of Vega Star Ship Management Private Limited, an India-based company operating the Comoros-flagged vessel NEPTA (IMO 9013701). According to OFAC, this vessel has been involved in transporting Iranian-origin LPG to Pakistan since January 2025, highlighting the network’s wider regional footprint beyond China.

The sanctions block all property and interests in property belonging to the designated persons that fall under U.S. jurisdiction or are controlled by U.S. parties. Financial institutions and businesses under U.S. authority are prohibited from engaging in any transactions with the sanctioned individuals or their affiliated firms.

Additionally, any entity that is owned 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons will itself be subject to sanctions.

OFAC noted that any dealings by U.S. persons or businesses involving these entities are strictly prohibited unless explicitly authorised by the Treasury. Violations could invite both civil and criminal penalties for domestic and foreign persons involved in sanctionable activities. The enforcement aims to deter further participation in Iran’s energy trade and ensure compliance with international sanctions frameworks.

The Treasury Department clarified that its ultimate objective is to bring about a change in behaviour, urging designated persons or entities to cease sanctionable activities. It also outlined that those placed on the sanctions list can petition for removal by complying with established legal procedures and demonstrating a verifiable cessation of the actions that led to their designation.

The latest round of sanctions underscores Washington’s intensified campaign against Iran’s “shadow fleet” — vessels operating under obscure ownership or foreign flags to conceal shipments of sanctioned crude oil and gas. The inclusion of Indian nationals marks a notable expansion of U.S. enforcement efforts into South Asia, signalling a stronger push to dismantle global networks supporting Iran’s sanctioned energy exports.

Based On ANI Report