The United States has broadened its campaign against Iran with sanctions on nearly 60 entities, individuals and vessels accused of supporting Tehran’s military activity, procurement networks and oil trade, in what Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has branded “Operation Economic Outcast”.
According to a fact sheet from the State Department, the new measures are designed to choke off revenues that Washington says fund attacks on US forces and allies, bolster terrori...
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sm abroad and sustain Iran’s regional activity. The sanctions were imposed under executive orders that target Iran’s petroleum income and alleged conventional arms proliferation.
Among those hit is DADENEGAR STARTUP STUDIO, which the State Department says procured commercial satellite imagery from China to assist Iranian military targeting and battle-damage assessments during “Operation Epic Fury”. Washington also designated the IRGC Cyber-Electronic Command, alleging it obtained information on US military assets.
The Treasury and the Rewards for Justice programme also targeted senior Iranian military figures, including Ahmad Vahidi, whom the State Department described as central to military decision-making during the operation. Rewards of up to $10 million are being offered for information on Vahidi and other senior IRGC leaders.
The action also extends to what Washington calls Iran’s “dark fleet” of oil tankers and the intermediaries that facilitate the sale and transport of Iranian petroleum, petroleum products and petrochemicals. The State Department said these cargoes are often moved by shadow fleet operators using deceptive shipping practices that threaten other vessels and disrupt trade flows.
Bessent said the campaign marks a much wider effort to sever Iran’s financial links overseas and pressure foreign companies and governments into choosing between doing business with Tehran and access to the US financial system. Axios reported that China, which buys the vast majority of Iran’s exported oil, is likely to be a key test of how far the administration is prepared to push enforcement.
The broader effort comes amid persistent US frustration over Iran’s regional behaviour and nuclear programme, and follows earlier sanctions and enforcement actions targeting oil smuggling and illicit shipping. The Justice Department separately announced a criminal resolution linked to the seizure of more than 980,000 barrels of contraband crude oil, describing it as a significant disruption to an IRGC-linked scheme.
Source: Noah Wire Services
