Azernews.Az

By Alimat Aliyeva

The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury has expanded its anti-Iran sanctions list, AzerNEWS reports.

According to the press release, OFAC has added 19 vessels involved in transporting Iranian oil and petrochemical products to foreign buyers. In addition, the sanctions list now includes the large Iranian foreign exchange company Ebrahimi and Associates Partnership Company, along with several related firms that are reportedly engaged in financial transactions on behalf of Iranian banks already under sanctions.

The statement notes that these measures are part of OFAC’s ongoing efforts to disrupt Iran’s so-called “shadow banking” networks and to prevent the circumvention of existing sanctions.

These actions reflect a broader U.S. strategy of targeting not only direct exporters of Iranian energy resources, but also the intermediary shipping and financial networks that help move funds and goods through third countries. In recent years, such enforcement has increasingly focused on maritime logistics companies, vessel registries, and currency exchange firms that enable cross-border trade outside the formal banking system.

Analysts often point out that these sanctions can have wider ripple effects in global energy markets, particularly when large numbers of tankers are designated at once, as it may temporarily affect shipping routes, insurance costs, and oil supply chains.