Indian Nationals Among 50 Entities Sanctioned By US For Facilitating Iran Oil

The United States of America on Thursday announced a new round of sanctions targeting individuals, companies and vessels it says helped Iran export oil and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). The United States Treasury’s

Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) named more than 50 targets, and, according to a TOI report, three Indian nationals are among those designated. The sanctions list includes nearly two dozen vessels described as part of a “shadow fleet,” a crude oil terminal in China, an independent refinery, and multiple shipping companies allegedly involved in moving hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of Iranian petroleum and petroleum products. In its notice, the Treasury characterized the move as aimed at “dismantling key elements of Iran's energy export machine,' said a report by TOI.Which Indians were sanctioned?OFAC’s designations include Indian nationals Varun Pula, Soniya Shrestha and Iyappan Raja. The Treasury says:

• Varun Pula is the owner of Marshall Islands–based Bertha Shipping Inc, which operates the Comoros-flagged tanker PAMIR (IMO 9208239). OFAC alleges PAMIR delivered nearly four million barrels of Iranian LPG to China since July 2024.
• Iyappan Raja owns Evie Lines Inc, also registered in the Marshall Islands; OFAC links the Panama-flagged SAPPHIRE GAS (IMO 9320738) to shipments of over a million barrels of Iranian LPG to China since April 2025.
• Soniya Shrestha is identified as owner of Vega Star Ship Management Private Limited, an Indian company that operates the Comoros-flagged NEPTA (IMO 9013701). OFAC says NEPTA has carried Iranian LPG to Pakistan since January 2025; Vega Star has been blocked under the sanctions.

What the sanctions doUnder the action, all property and interests in property of the designated individuals and entities that are in the United States or controlled by US persons are frozen. Entities 50% or more owned by blocked persons are also subject to blocking. OFAC rules bar US persons and persons within the United States from engaging in transactions involving the property of those on the list unless authorized — violations can trigger civil or criminal penalties for both US and foreign actors.The listings also sweep in many firms based in Singapore, Hong Kong, China and the UAE, the Treasury said, as it seeks to choke off networks that help Tehran move oil and LPG to market.Administration view and next stepsThe Treasury framed the sanctions as a tool to reduce Iran’s ability to finance activities that the US deems destabilizing. The department said those designated may pursue removal from the list through legal processes established by OFAC.The developments are part of a broader US campaign targeting Iran’s energy export networks, and they underscore the continued international scrutiny of shipping practices, flags of convenience and intermediaries used to move sanctioned cargoes.