{"id":147220,"date":"2026-06-05T21:31:08","date_gmt":"2026-06-05T21:31:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/147220\/"},"modified":"2026-06-05T21:31:08","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T21:31:08","slug":"treasury-targets-iranian-lpg-smuggling-network-as-u-s-pressure-campaign-intensifies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/147220\/","title":{"rendered":"Treasury Targets Iranian LPG Smuggling Network as U.S. Pressure Campaign Intensifies"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Trump administration on Friday imposed a new round of sanctions targeting an international network accused of smuggling Iranian liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and laundering revenue through shadow banking channels, marking the latest escalation in Washington\u2019s campaign to squeeze Tehran\u2019s energy exports and financial lifelines.<\/p>\n

The sanctions, announced by the U.S. Treasury Department\u2019s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), target a network of traders, shipping companies, vessels, and financial intermediaries allegedly responsible for moving hundreds of millions of dollars\u2019 worth of Iranian LPG disguised as exports from Oman and sold to buyers across South and East Asia.<\/p>\n

The action comes as the United States continues an increasingly aggressive maritime enforcement campaign against vessels linked to Iran\u2019s energy trade, including multiple recent boardings of sanctioned tankers operating in the Indian Ocean.<\/p>\n

\u201cIran\u2019s economy is floundering and its military is decimated,\u201d Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement. \u201cThrough Economic Fury, Treasury will continue to sever Iran\u2019s shadow fleet, shadow banking networks, and access to global trade.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Treasury, the network relied on front companies based in the United Arab Emirates and China, foreign bank accounts, and vessels associated with Iran\u2019s so-called shadow fleet to conceal the origin of Iranian LPG shipments and evade sanctions.<\/p>\n

Treasury identified Afghan national Sarbaz Abdul Zada and Turkish national Mohammad Shakol Mihandoust as key operators behind the network. Officials said the pair used a series of UAE-based trading firms, including Butani Trading LLC, Dundlod Trading FZE, and ADH Energy FZE, to arrange shipments of Iranian LPG falsely marketed as Omani product.<\/p>\n

One shipment cited by Treasury involved approximately 750,000 barrels of LPG transported to Bangladesh aboard the LPG carrier\u00a0Sevan. Treasury said the vessel carried Iranian-origin cargoes between August and November 2025. Another shipment involved 22,000 metric tons of LPG delivered to Bangladesh in October 2025.<\/p>\n

The sanctions also target Shanghai Qianye Energy Co., Ltd., a China-based company Treasury said was controlled by Mihandoust.<\/p>\n

In addition to the trading network, OFAC designated six LPG tankers and their associated owners and operators. The vessels include\u00a0MD 23,\u00a0Glendale,\u00a0Amir Gas,\u00a0Gas Lagoon,\u00a0Mile, and\u00a0Gaz GMS, which Treasury alleges collectively transported millions of barrels of Iranian LPG over several years.<\/p>\n

The Treasury also sanctioned Iranian exchange house Mehrdad Geramian Nik and Partners Company and its leadership, accusing the firm of moving hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign currency on behalf of sanctioned Iranian banks including Bank Tejarat, Bank Mellat, and Bank Pasargad.<\/p>\n

Treasury said the exchange house formed part of Iran\u2019s broader \u201cshadow banking\u201d system, which uses overseas shell companies, intermediaries, and foreign accounts to facilitate international transactions while obscuring ties to sanctioned Iranian entities.<\/p>\n

The latest sanctions form part of the administration\u2019s \u201cEconomic Fury\u201d campaign, a maximum-pressure effort aimed at restricting Iran\u2019s ability to generate and move revenue from oil, gas, petrochemical, and financial activities.<\/p>\n

The sanctions also underscore the growing role of maritime enforcement in U.S. policy toward Iran. Since April, U.S. military forces have conducted multiple interdictions of sanctioned tankers and expanded operations beyond the Persian Gulf into the wider Indian Ocean as part of efforts to enforce restrictions on Iranian energy exports.<\/p>\n

The State Department said the United States would continue to pursue companies, vessels, and financial institutions that facilitate sanctions evasion.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese sanctions are part of the Administration\u2019s Economic Fury campaign, which maintains maximum pressure on the Iranian regime and disrupts its ability to generate revenue for weapons development, support for terrorist proxies, and regional aggression,\u201d State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said.<\/p>\n

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