U.S. Treasury Sanctions Nine Tankers Over Iranian Oil
Treasury targets nine vessels accused of moving hundreds of millions in Iranian oil amid a Jan. 8 internet blackout during nationwide protests.
Al JazeeraUS sanctions Iran ‘shadow fleet’ it says fuels violent protest crackdown
ABC NewsUS hits 9 tankers with sanctions over Iranian oil during protest crackdown
Associated PressUS hits 9 tankers with sanctions over Iranian oil during protest crackdown and internet shutdown
NewsmaxTreasury Department Sanctions Iranian Fleet After Crackdown on Protests
Overview
The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control on Jan. 12, 2025 sanctioned nine vessels and their owners for allegedly transporting hundreds of millions of dollars in Iranian oil, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said.
Treasury officials said the sanctions target a 'shadow fleet' that generates funds Tehran uses to repress protesters and cited Iran's Jan. 8 internet shutdown as part of that concealment, Scott Bessent said.
President Donald Trump called a nearby U.S. aircraft carrier group an 'armada' and said the ships were moving 'just in case,' remarks made to journalists aboard Air Force One, according to administration officials.
Activist groups reported the crackdown's death toll rose to at least 5,032, a figure Iranian officials dispute, according to activist statements and Iranian state responses.
The action follows earlier Treasury measures this month targeting Iranian officials and firms accused of helping repress protesters and could presage additional U.S. financial steps, administration officials said.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame this coverage by foregrounding U.S. government rationale and human-rights harms, using evocative terms such as 'shadow fleet' and 'bloody crackdown', prioritizing Treasury and White House statements while citing activist casualty figures. Lead placement and omission of Iranian official responses reinforce a U.S.-aligned accountability narrative.