Trump Expands US Efforts Against Iran's 'Ghost Fleet'

President Donald Trump is expanding efforts to combat Iran’s illicit oil trade via its ‘Ghost Fleet.’

State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce announced the US is sanctioning Iran’s Minister of Petroleum Mohsen Paknejad and several entities transporting Iranian oil to China.

The US previously sanctioned Iran’s oil sector in 2018 to dissuade the country from financing terrorist organizations like Hezbollah and Hamas, cartel activity, and perfidious nuclear development.

However, Iran has recently expanded efforts to circumvent US-imposed oil export sanctions by shipping Iranian oil through a network of foreign tankers colloquially referred to as Iran’s  ‘Ghost Fleet.’

One report from the United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) nonprofit outlines the extent of the ‘Ghost Fleet’ scheme, which includes hundreds of Panamanian vessels.

Spokesperson Bruce accused Minister Paknejad and the Iranian military of “stealing (Iran’s) oil wealth” by covertly orchestrating illicit oil sales. 

The US, under Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s leadership, has intensified measures to counteract Iran’s sanctions circumvention attempts. 

Trump officials describe the White House’s Iran strategy as a “maximum pressure campaign…designed to end Iran’s nuclear threat, curtail its ballistic missile program, and stop it from supporting or rebuilding its terrorist proxy groups, including by driving Iran’s oil exports to zero — especially oil exports to China.” 

The latest sanctions follow a series of US actions aimed at constricting Iran’s Ghost Fleet operations.

Among these were sanctions against oil brokers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Hong Kong, tanker operators and managers in India and the People’s Republic of China (PRC), the head of Iran’s National Iranian Oil Company, and the Iranian Oil Terminals Company (IOTC).

According to the Treasury Department, Iran has harnessed a global network of partners to generate billions of dollars that it subsequently funnels to its military and proxy groups.

“Iran continues to rely on a shadowy network of vessels, shippers, and brokers to facilitate its oil sales and fund its destabilizing activities,” said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. “The United States will use all our available tools to target all aspects of Iran’s oil supply chain, and anyone who deals in Iranian oil exposes themselves to significant sanctions risk.”