The US Treasury Department on Thursday intensified its crackdown on Iran’s energy exports, expanding sanctions to include several individuals and shipping companies, among them, entities based in India.
According to an official statement, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed sanctions on 50 individuals, entities, and vessels accused of facilitating the sale and shipment of Iranian oil and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). The move, authorized under executive orders signed by former President Donald Trump, aims to further restrict Iran’s ability to generate revenue from its energy exports.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the latest measures are part of efforts to “degrade Iran’s cash flow by dismantling key elements” of its energy export operations, adding that the objective is to disrupt the regime’s funding of terrorist groups through billions of dollars in petroleum-related revenue.
The sanctions target a vast network moving Iranian LPG through nearly two dozen shadow fleet vessels, a China-based crude oil terminal, and an independent “teapot” refinery, which the Treasury described as central to Iran’s ability to sustain petroleum exports.
Among the newly sanctioned entities are Indian national Varun Pula’s Bertha Shipping Inc., Iyappan Raja-owned Evie Lines Inc., and Soniya Shreshtha’s India based Vega Star Ship Management Private Limited.
- Bertha Shipping Inc., based in the Marshall Islands, owns and manages the Comoros-flagged vessel PAMIR, which has reportedly transported nearly four million barrels of Iranian LPG to China since July 2024.
- Evie Lines Inc., also registered in the Marshall Islands, owns and operates the Panama-flagged SAPPHIRE GAS, responsible for moving over one million barrels of Iranian LPG to China since April 2025.
- Vega Star Ship Management Pvt. Ltd., based in India, operates the Comoros-flagged NEPTA, which has carried Iranian LPG to Pakistan since January 2025.
The Treasury Department said that Iran’s “shadow fleet” relies on deceptive shipping tactics such as ship-to-ship transfers in the Persian Gulf and off the coasts of Singapore and Malaysia to conceal the origin of cargoes.
The sanctions freeze any property or assets of the listed individuals and companies within US jurisdiction and prohibit American entities from conducting business with them.
These measures come amid heightened US-Iran tensions, following earlier sanctions in July that targeted six Indian companies for trading in Iranian petrochemical products. The renewed pressure campaign reflects the Trump administration’s continued pursuit of a “maximum pressure” strategy to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions and financing of militant groups.
Meanwhile, Iran’s economy continues to struggle under global sanctions, with its rial currency at a record low and soaring food prices worsening daily living conditions.
