WANA (Apr 11) – Just ahead of a new round of indirect negotiations between Iran and the United States in Oman, the U.S. Treasury Department has announced a fresh package of oil-related sanctions targeting individuals and entities involved in Iranian oil exports.

 

On Thursday, the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced that an Indian national, Jagvinder Singh Brar—based in the UAE and reportedly owning a fleet of around 30 ships—has been added to the sanctions list. According to OFAC, many of Brar’s vessels operate within Iran’s so-called “shadow fleet.”

 

Two India-based entities and two UAE-based companies responsible for managing and owning these vessels have also been sanctioned. The Treasury claims these firms have facilitated oil shipments on behalf of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) and Iran’s military institutions.

 

According to the Treasury’s statement, vessels linked to this network have transferred Iranian oil via ship-to-ship (STS) operations in regional waters, including the Gulf of Oman. These shipments were then moved to global markets with the help of intermediaries. Washington alleges that this process involved falsifying shipping documents and blending Iranian oil with products from other countries to disguise its origin.

 

Simultaneously, the U.S. has sanctioned a Chinese company as well. Reuters reported that the Guangsha Zhoushan oil terminal, located on China’s Huangzhou Island, has been blacklisted due to its links to Iranian oil trade. The terminal is connected via an undersea pipeline to one of China’s independent “teapot” refineries and is said to have played a role in transporting Iranian oil.

 

These sanctions come at a sensitive time, as Washington and Tehran prepare to engage in new talks mediated by Oman.