US Sanctions Iraqi Businessman Over Role in Iranian Oil Smuggling Network
Thursday’s sanctions fall under Executive Order 13902, which targets key sectors of Iran’s economy, including petroleum and petrochemicals, and Executive Order 13224.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The U.S. Department of the Treasury on Thursday announced new sanctions targeting individuals and entities involved in the illicit trade of Iranian oil, including Iraqi businessman Salim Ahmed Said, whose network has profited from smuggling Iranian oil disguised as or blended with Iraqi oil.
The sanctions, imposed by the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), aim to disrupt financial flows that benefit Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force (IRGC-QF). The action also targets several vessels involved in covert oil shipments, escalating the pressure on Iran’s so-called “shadow fleet.”
"The Treasury will continue to target Tehran’s revenue sources and intensify economic pressure to disrupt the regime’s access to the financial resources that fuel its destabilizing activities,” said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. “Iran’s leaders have consistently chosen extremism over peace, and our actions reflect a commitment to holding them accountable.”
Thursday’s sanctions fall under Executive Order 13902, which targets key sectors of Iran’s economy, including petroleum and petrochemicals, and Executive Order 13224. This marks the eighth round of sanctions since the issuance of National Security Presidential Memorandum 2, which launched the U.S. campaign of maximum pressure on Iran.
The United States remains committed to working with allies and partners to block Iran’s access to illicit financial networks and curb its destabilizing activities across the Middle East.
