WANA (Sep 02) – The United States has imposed new sanctions as part of its ongoing “maximum pressure” policy against Iran. On Tuesday, the U.S. Treasury Department announced that one individual, seven companies, and nine tankers had been blacklisted for their alleged involvement in selling Iranian oil and evading existing sanctions.

 

According to the Treasury’s statement, the network—led by Waleed al-Samarrai, an Iraqi–Kittitian businessman—was accused of blending Iranian oil with Iraqi oil and selling it on the global market as Iraqi-origin crude. The Treasury claimed that this operation generated hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue for both Iran and al-Samarrai.

 

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Boscent stated: “Iraq cannot become a safe haven for terrorists, which is why the United States is working to counter Iran’s influence there. By targeting Iran’s oil revenue streams, the Treasury is further reducing the regime’s ability to conduct attacks against the United States and our allies.” He added that Washington remains committed to disrupting Tehran’s ongoing attempts to bypass U.S. sanctions.

 

These measures build on earlier actions taken by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). In July 2025, the agency had already sanctioned a similar network accused of smuggling mixed Iranian-Iraqi oil.

 

The Treasury claimed that al-Samarrai’s network generates around $300 million annually for Iran and relies on two UAE-based firms—Babylon Navigation DMCC and Galaxy Oil FZ LLC—for logistics and trading operations. Several tankers sailing under the Liberian flag were allegedly used to transfer oil between the Persian Gulf and Iraqi ports, with ownership registered under shell companies in the Marshall Islands.

 

The latest sanctions were issued under Executive Order 13902, which targets Iran’s oil and petrochemical sectors. Washington described the move as part of its broader strategy to curb Iran’s economic influence in Iraq and intensify economic pressure on Tehran.

 

These developments come against a backdrop of heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington. After five rounds of indirect talks, a sixth round was scheduled but did not take place, as Israel carried out military strikes in June against sites in Tehran and several other cities, including nuclear facilities. The United States subsequently attacked Iran’s nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, prompting a military response from Iran. Eventually, on June 24, the U.S. president announced a ceasefire agreement between Iran and Israel.

People attend the funeral procession of Iranian military commanders, nuclear scientists and others killed in Israeli strikes, in Tehran, Iran, June 28, 2025. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)

Only days later, the three European signatories of the 2015 nuclear deal—Britain, France, and Germany—formally notified the UN Security Council of their decision to trigger the “snapback” mechanism. They stated that sanctions could only be halted if a new agreement with Iran were reached within 30 days.

 

In response, Iran’s foreign minister sent a letter to the Security Council denouncing what he called a “misinterpretation” of the nuclear deal’s dispute resolution mechanism and urged members to reject the European move. Simultaneously, the foreign ministers of Iran, China, and Russia submitted a joint letter to the UN secretary-general and the Security Council president, rejecting the European notification as lacking legal basis and calling for it to be considered null and void.