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The United States has hit Iran with new sanctions targeting its nuclear program and oil smuggling network.
Some shit you should know before you read: If you’re unaware, shortly after President Trump returned to office, he announced the resumption of his “maximum pressure” campaign on Iran—a hardline strategy centered on crippling economic sanctions, diplomatic isolation, and the threat of military force. The campaign aims to force Tehran into a new nuclear agreement by dismantling its uranium enrichment program and halting its support for proxy groups across the Middle East. In addition to all of this, the US is set to hold direct talks with Iran this weekend in Oman, marking a notable diplomatic pivot. Despite all of this, Trump has made clear that if Iran refuses to fully dismantle its nuclear infrastructure, the US is prepared to launch targeted military strikes to neutralize key nuclear sites.
What’s going on now: In an announcement, the US Treasury confirmed new sanctions targeting a network of Iranian entities and individuals involved in advancing the country’s nuclear program and enabling illicit oil exports. Specifically, the sanctions designated five Iran-based entities and one individual for supporting the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) and its subsidiary, the Iran Centrifuge Technology Company (TESA), both of which are crucial to Iran’s uranium enrichment capabilities. These groups were involved in manufacturing aluminum components for centrifuges and developing thorium-fueled reactor technologies—basically shit that could help Iran’s ability to produce weapons-grade nuclear material.
On top of that, the Treasury also hit an oil smuggling network operated by UAE-based Indian national Jugwinder Singh Brar, whose fleet of nearly 30 vessels has moved Iranian oil under the radar of international sanctions. Brar’s tankers have reportedly engaged in high-risk ship-to-ship transfers in waters near Iran, Iraq, the UAE, and the Gulf of Oman, often turning off their tracking systems or using falsified shipping documents to mask the origin of Iranian oil.
Jugwinder Singh Brar and his family seen in a photo posted by Rolls-Royce Dubai back in March 2020, posing with a new vehicle he received.
These shipments were then blended with petroleum from other countries and passed off as non-Iranian, allowing Iran to evade sanctions and fund its military and proxy operations across the region.
The Treasury claimed that Brar coordinated with other sanctioned groups, including figures tied to the Houthi in Yemen, to optimize smuggling routes and obfuscate the true origin of the oil.
In a statement, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said, “The Iranian regime relies on its network of unscrupulous shippers and brokers like Brar and his companies to enable its oil sales and finance its destabilizing activities. The United States remains focused on disrupting all elements of Iran’s oil exports, particularly those who seek to profit from this trade.”
