United States sanctions 28 vessels in Iran's shadow fleet, targets ICC judges

The US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned 28 vessels and 18 shipping management companies forming part of Iran's shadow fleet, the Treasury announced on December 18.

The vessels were added to the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List, targeting tankers that evade sanctions and contribute to Iran's energy revenues.

OFAC also sanctioned two International Criminal Court (ICC) judges, Erdenebalsuren Damdin of Mongolia and Gocha Lordkipanidze of Georgia, for what the US described as "illegitimate targeting of Israel".

The sanctioned vessels include chemical tankers, products tankers, crude oil tankers and asphalt tankers flagged under various jurisdictions including Palau, Panama, Cook Islands, Barbados and Jamaica.

The shipping management companies targeted include Phoenix Ship Management FZE, Red Sea Ship Management LLC, High Seas Petroleum LLC, and Golden Gate Ship Management, amongst others, based in the United Arab Emirates, India, Panama, and the Marshall Islands.

Egyptian national Hatem Elsaid Farid Ibrahim Sakr was designated for involvement in Iran-related sanctions evasion activities.

OFAC issued two general licences authorising wind-down transactions and limited safety and environmental transactions involving newly blocked persons and vessels.

The Treasury removed several Russia-related designations from the SDN List, including Dmitry Bugayenko and associated companies Veles International Limited and Hadlerco Limited, both registered in Cyprus.

Turkish companies Etasis Elektronik Tarti Aletleri ve Sistemleri Sanayi ve Ticaret Anonim Sirketi and CPS Proses Kontrol Urunleri Sanayi ve Ticaret Anonim Sirketi were also removed from the list.

The Treasury removed Finnish company Hi-Tech Koneisto International OY and Evgenia Dremova from Russia-related designations.

"Treasury increases pressure on Iran's sanctions-evading shadow fleet," the Treasury said in a statement.