US sanctions Indian and Turkish firms accused of aiding Iran's oil and airline networks

The United States has imposed sanctions on companies and individuals in India and Turkiye that it says helped Iran evade restrictions on its oil exports and airline operations. The Treasury Department announced the measures on Wednesday, saying the network used fake ship registries, false flags and other documentation to keep sanctioned tankers moving. It also said a Turkiye-based ground services company provided support to Iranian airlines that remain under US restrictions.

According to the Treasury, the alleged network was run by Suniel Kumar Sharma and his wife, Jaspreet Preeti Shahid, who are based in Chandigarh in northern India. The department said the pair falsely claimed to represent maritime authorities in countries including Guyana, Eswatini and Laos. It said they issued fake flags and certifications that allowed tankers carrying Iranian oil to continue operating, including vessels working for the Iranian military and allied groups.

Two other Indian nationals who head the couple's businesses, along with nine entities linked to Sharma, were also sanctioned. The Treasury said the scheme dated back to at least 2014 and relied on websites designed to resemble official national ship registries. It also sanctioned Fugo Ground Services, based in Turkiye, saying the company provided ground handling and other services to several US-sanctioned Iranian airlines that still fly to Turkiye, including Iran Air Tour and Saha Airlines.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control warned shipping companies about the risks of dealing with vessels sailing under false flags. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington would continue to pursue anyone who supports Tehran. The action is part of the Trump administration's Operation Economic Outcast, which aims to cut off oil revenue that Iran uses to support its war effort.

The Treasury said last week that its campaign had pushed Iran's currency, the rial, to new lows and driven inflation to about 90 percent. The latest sanctions therefore add pressure on a network that Washington says has helped sustain both Iran's energy exports and its aviation links despite existing restrictions. The case also highlights how sanctions enforcement now extends beyond Iran itself to intermediaries in other countries.

By targeting ship registry fraud and airline support services, the US is seeking to disrupt the commercial infrastructure that can keep sanctioned trade moving. The measures are likely to matter to shipping firms, insurers and aviation service providers that operate in or near the affected routes. What remains unclear is how far the alleged network extended beyond the companies and individuals named in the announcement.

The Treasury did not say whether any criminal charges have been filed, and it was not immediately clear how the targeted firms may respond. The sanctions freeze any US assets held by those targeted and generally bar Americans from dealing with them, but the wider commercial impact will depend on how strictly counterparties enforce the restrictions.

#USsanctions #Iran #TreasuryDepartment #shipregistries #airlineservices

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