Washington widens Iran sanctions squeeze

Washington has imposed sanctions on more than 50 Iran-linked individuals, companies and vessels, targeting a currency exchange network and oil transport channels as pressure builds on Tehran to reach a deal and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

The measures announced on Tuesday place Amin Exchange, also known as Ebrahimi and Associates Partnership Company, at the centre of a renewed campaign against Iran’s financial and petroleum networks. The Iran-based exchange house is accused of helping sanctioned banks and commercial entities move hundreds of millions of dollars through front companies across several jurisdictions, including the United Arab Emirates, Türkiye, Hong Kong and China.

The action also covers 19 vessels alleged to have transported Iranian-origin oil, petroleum products and petrochemicals to overseas customers. Among the named ships are the Barbados-flagged liquefied petroleum gas tanker Great Sail, the Palau-flagged products tanker Ocean Wave and the Panama-flagged chemical and oil tanker Swift Falcon. The designations freeze any US-linked assets of those targeted and prohibit US persons from doing business with them.

The sanctions form part of Washington’s “Economic Fury” campaign, which seeks to weaken what US officials describe as Iran’s shadow banking system and shadow fleet. These networks have become central to Tehran’s efforts to sustain energy exports, access foreign currency and keep trade channels functioning despite years of restrictions on its banking, oil and shipping sectors.

Amin Exchange’s network is alleged to have supported payments linked to petroleum, petrochemicals, metals, manufacturing and automobiles. The front companies named include Ningbo Jiarui Trading Co., Ltd. in China; Starshine Petrochemical Corporation Limited, Vigorous Trading Limited, Bestfortuna Company Limited and Cheng Pan Co., Limited in Hong Kong; and Alieen Goods Wholesalers LLC, Bold Trading FZE and Materium Group FZE in the UAE.

US authorities also identified Yousef Ebrahimi as the owner and operator of Amin Exchange. Samad Nemati, described as the exchange’s chief executive and a former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps officer, Ali Hazrati Chakherlo, a board member, and Mahmoud Ebrahimi, an employee and brother of Yousef Ebrahimi, were also added to the sanctions list.

The announcement comes as tensions around the Strait of Hormuz remain a major concern for energy markets. The waterway is one of the world’s most important oil transit routes, and any disruption raises immediate concerns over shipping risk, insurance costs and crude supply. Washington’s latest move signals that financial and maritime pressure will remain central to its strategy while negotiations with Tehran remain unresolved.

Iran’s oil trade has continued to rely on complex ownership structures, non-Iranian flags, ship-to-ship transfers and trading intermediaries to reduce exposure to sanctions. The designation of vessel owners, managers and related companies is intended to raise compliance risks for insurers, brokers, port service providers and refiners that handle cargoes suspected of originating from Iran.

The pressure campaign also reflects the growing overlap between financial sanctions and maritime enforcement. Exchange houses, front companies and tanker networks often operate as connected systems, allowing proceeds from oil sales to be converted, transferred or used for procurement. That structure has complicated enforcement because companies can be registered in one jurisdiction, vessels flagged in another, and payments routed through still other financial centres.

For Gulf economies and energy traders, the new sanctions raise compliance stakes at a sensitive point. Companies based in regional trade hubs face heightened scrutiny when dealing with counterparties in shipping, petroleum products, metals and wholesale trade. Even firms not directly named in sanctions may come under pressure to strengthen due diligence around beneficial ownership, cargo origin and payment routes.

Tehran has long argued that US sanctions are unlawful and designed to cripple its economy, while Washington maintains that the measures are aimed at restricting funding channels for nuclear, military and regional activities. The latest designations show that the Trump administration is prepared to keep expanding sanctions even as diplomatic proposals circulate over wider regional hostilities, the presence of US forces near Iran and demands tied to war-related damage.