U.S. Treasury Sanctions Shamkhani-Linked Illicit Oil Shipping Network
On April 15, 2026, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned a network associated with Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani for facilitating the illicit export of Iranian crude oil. The sanctions target entities and vessels, including the tanker AURA, identified as part of a 'Ghost Armada' used to evade the U.S. naval blockade. This action is part of a broader economic pressure campaign intended to drain the Iranian regime's financial resources during the ongoing war.