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US sanctions shipping firms linked to Iranian oil deliveries to China
The designations freeze any assets tied to the targeted firms in US jurisdiction and generally bar US persons from dealing with them.
The United States imposed new sanctions on mainland Chinese and Hong Kong shipping companies accused of operating vessels that transported Iranian crude oil and petrochemical products to China and the United Arab Emirates, extending Washington’s economic campaign against Tehran, alongside its naval enforcement.
The US State Department said eight companies were designated as part of Iran sanctions-evading “shadow fleet” activity. Six of the eight vessels named by the US Treasury Department were accused of carrying Iranian crude to China, in some cases transporting millions of barrels during 2026.
The Treasury and State Department actions freeze assets belonging to the targeted companies within US jurisdiction and generally prohibit US individuals and businesses from dealing with them. The measures also raise sanctions exposure for foreign financial institutions and other companies that continue certain transactions involving the designated firms.
The State Department said the step supports enforcement of a blockade on Iranian ports and coastline. The US also targeted two Iranian companies accused of forcing commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to buy maritime insurance against risks, including seizures, that Washington says are created by Tehran itself.
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