The U.S. State Department announced today the inclusion of 16 entities and individuals in the list of persons involved in the activities of the Iranian oil and petrochemical industries. Tami Braun, an official spokesperson for the department, clarified in her statement that the State Department and the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury are imposing simultaneous sanctions against 22 individuals and 13 vessels as part of restricted property through several legal proceedings for involvement in Iranian oil activities. Braun noted that this network of illegal shipping companies obscures its role in the smuggling and transportation of Iranian oil for sale to Asian buyers.
