The Iranian regime is involved in destabilizing activities in the Middle East and various other regions. Under President Trump’s “maximum pressure” policy, the United States is taking strong measures to halt Iran’s illegal foreign activities and its oppression of its own people. The primary goal of these measures is to cut off Iran’s illegal financing and energy sources.

Main Sanctions and Actions

• Petroleum Business Entities
  • The State Department has imposed sanctions on four Iranian petroleum companies.
• Seizure of Ships and Assets
  • Two ships have been designated as blocked property.
• Crude Oil and Petroleum Product Storage
  • Action has been taken against a China-based storage terminal that imported 13 million barrels of Iranian crude oil between 2021 and 2025.
  • This terminal is directly linked to a major Chinese refinery company, which plays a key role in buying, storing, and processing Iranian oil.

Criminal Maritime Activities and Ship Management

• Illicit Ship Management Companies
  • Multiple illicit ship management companies operate to maintain Iran’s oil exports.
  • They use deceptive methods to load and transport Iranian oil, creating maritime security risks.
• Dark Activity
  • Most ships operate in “dark activity” mode (with the Automatic Identification System turned off), causing difficulties in safety oversight.

Legal and Economic Implications

• Asset Blocking
  • All property and interests in property held by U.S. citizens or entities will be blocked.
  • Information about these assets must be reported to the relevant international financial regulatory authorities.
• Transaction and Service Ban
  • Any transactions, funds, goods, or services exchanged with any individual or organization will be prohibited unless authorized by specific licenses or exemptions.
• Primary Goal
  • The objective of these sanctions is to bring about positive change by disrupting Iran’s illegal financing and harmful activities.

Legal Procedures and Future Directions

• Under Executive Orders
  • The actions are taken in accordance with Executive Orders 13846 and 13902.
• Behavioral Change
  • The purpose of the sanctions is not to punish; rather, to encourage Iran to alter its uncontrolled behavior.
• Exemption Process
  • A specific application procedure must be followed to obtain exemptions.

Summary

The United States has imposed rigorous sanctions to obstruct Iran’s illegal oil network and its associated activities. These sanctions aim to curb Iran’s unlawful financing and harmful actions, thereby safeguarding both domestic and international peace and security.