Washington identifies fuel exports as key source of funding for Iran’s military programs and allied groups
The United States government on Tuesday announced sanctions against Sayed Asadollah Emamjomeh, known as Iran’s liquefied gas magnate, along with a network of companies allegedly used to bypass existing U.S. sanctions and sell Iranian oil abroad.
According to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the proceeds from these sales constitute a crucial source of funding for Iran’s nuclear and military programs, as well as for operations carried out by allied groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that Emamjomeh and his associated networks have attempted to export “thousands of shipments of liquefied petroleum gases”—fuel derived from a blend of butane and propane—including some from the United States, in a bid to evade sanctions.
The purpose of the sanctions, Bessent explained, is to target those “who seek to provide the Iranian regime with the financial means to support its destabilizing activities across the region and beyond.”
According to the Treasury Department, Emamjomeh operated for over a decade a purported network for the sale, transport, and delivery of this type of fuel through various companies based in Iran and the United Arab Emirates.
In total, nine companies were used by Emamjomeh to conduct sales worth “hundreds of millions of dollars” to foreign markets such as Pakistan and China, according to the Treasury’s official statement.
Further Sanctions
On April 10, the United States imposed sanctions on what it called Iran’s “shadow fleet,” targeting one individual and several entities based in India and the UAE whose vessels had been transporting Iranian oil.
The Treasury Department named Indian national Jugwinder Singh Brar, based in the UAE, as the owner of shipping companies operating a fleet of nearly 30 vessels.
“Brar’s ships conduct high-risk ship-to-ship transfers of Iranian oil in the waters off Iraq, Iran, the UAE, and the Gulf of Oman,” the Treasury noted in a statement.
Sanctions were also levied against two UAE-based entities and two India-based firms that own and operate Brar’s ships, which have transported Iranian crude oil on behalf of the National Iranian Oil Company and the Islamic Republic’s military, the statement said.
“The Iranian regime relies on unscrupulous transporters and brokers like Brar and his companies to enable its oil sales and finance its destabilizing activities,” said Secretary Bessent.
He added, “The United States remains focused on disrupting every element of Iran’s oil export architecture, particularly those seeking to profit from this trade.”
Also on April 10, the U.S. sanctioned five entities and one individual connected to Iran’s nuclear program.
Among the entities listed was the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), accused of supporting nuclear activities deemed concerning by Washington. Authorities also sanctioned an individual—whose identity was not disclosed—described as being involved in managing or overseeing the Iranian nuclear program.
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