On Monday, July 21, the European Union issued an official statement sanctioning Hossein Shamkhani, son of Ali Shamkhani—senior advisor to the traitorous Ali Khamenei—for his key role in circumventing oil sanctions on Russia and participating in the so-called “shadow fleet” oil network.
The statement describes Hossein Shamkhani as a key player in exporting Russian oil to China and India, generating substantial revenue for the Kremlin through companies based in Dubai and a network of financial institutions in Geneva, Singapore, and London.
The EU also accuses Shamkhani of using companies such as Admiral Group, Milavos Group, and the Ocean Leonid Fund to manage tankers that operate without flags, insurance, or GPS trackers, thereby providing critical infrastructure to bypass sanctions.
From Oil to Weapons: Shamkhani at the Frontline of Iran-Russia Cooperation
Western media investigations, including by Bloomberg, had previously revealed that Shamkhani’s financial network is involved not only in oil trade but also in transferring Iranian weapons to Russia. He is accused of overseeing the pipeline for shipping missiles, drones, and military components from Tehran to Moscow via the Caspian Sea.
Bloomberg: Shamkhani’s Son’s Influence in the International Banking System
In Bloomberg’s January report, Shamkhani was identified as a “shadow billionaire” and a covert operative of the regime embedded in Western financial systems. According to the report, twelve Western intelligence officials and informed sources confirmed that Shamkhani operated under cryptic aliases such as “Hector” or simply “H.”
A Blow to the Iranian Regime’s Covert Financial Core
The sanction against Hossein Shamkhani, alongside the EU’s simultaneous move to lower the oil price cap for Russia, is part of a targeted package aimed at undermining the financial resources of both Russia and Iran’s regime in the Ukraine war.
With this action, the European Union has sent a clear message: Iran’s regime is no longer merely supplying drones for the war in Ukraine—businessmen tied to Ali Khamenei, the regime’s supreme leader, are bolstering the war’s economic backbone.
These sanctions not only expand the scope of measures against Russia, but also explicitly place Iran’s regime among the official backers of the Kremlin’s war machine.
By sanctioning Hossein Shamkhani, the European Union has effectively acknowledged and targeted a global network of financial corruption, arms trafficking, and money laundering operated by the Iranian regime.