The United States President, Donald Trump administration has intensified its economic crackdown on Iran by sanctioning a large-scale shipping operation responsible for a significant portion of the country’s oil exports.
The move targets a global network controlled by Hossein Shamkhani, son of Ali Shamkhani, a senior political adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader.
“Today, Treasury is sanctioning more than 115 individuals, entities and vessels that make up a vast shipping empire controlled by Mohammed (Hossein) Shamkhani, the son of Ali Shamkhani, a top political advisor to the Supreme Leader,” announced Deputy Secretary of Treasury Michael Faulkender.
According to US officials, Shamkhani’s extensive network facilitates the sale of Iranian and Russian crude oil, with China being a primary destination.
The newly announced sanctions are described as the most comprehensive economic penalties levied on Iran in recent years.
“Hossein Shamkhani’s network, which controls a significant portion of Iran’s crude oil exports, has touch points around the world. It’s a clear example of Iran’s flagrant abuse of the international financial system, helping both the regime and Hossein Shamkhani himself generate billions of dollars,” Faulkender added.
This escalation comes after US military strikes last month on Iranian nuclear facilities, which have further complicated diplomatic efforts.
Despite initial attempts to rekindle nuclear negotiations through third-party intermediaries, discussions have since stalled.
Sources say Steve Witkoff, President Trump’s special envoy, has indicated in private that talks surrounding the Iran nuclear deal are no longer seen as a priority for the administration.
This shift reflects the administration’s current focus on tightening sanctions and increasing pressure on Tehran.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio reinforced the administration’s hardened stance, “The Trump administration will continue to impose a policy of maximum pressure on the Iranian regime until Iran accepts a deal that advances regional peace and stability and in which Iran forgoes all aspirations of a nuclear weapon.”
“Today’s actions underscore our resolve to target those who enable Iran’s illicit oil and petrochemical trade and to cut off the regime’s means of funding its destabilizing activities,” Rubio added.
Oil exports remain a critical revenue source for Tehran. US Treasury officials report that while Iranian oil exports stood at approximately 1.8 million barrels per day at the start of the year, they have since dropped to around 1.2 million.
During the height of Trump’s first-term pressure campaign, exports had fallen even further to a few hundred thousand barrels daily.
CNN reported that following last month’s airstrikes, the US had made behind-the-scenes efforts to reopen dialogue with Iran, but those attempts have not progressed.
Speaking in July, Trump himself downplayed the urgency of renewed talks, “They would like to talk. I’m in no rush to talk because we obliterated their site.”
Witkoff has privately claimed that the US strikes destroyed critical infrastructure at three key nuclear locations, estimating it would take Iran a decade to restart uranium enrichment.
However, this view appears to diverge from the Pentagon’s intelligence, which suggests the damage may have delayed Iran’s nuclear ambitions by one to two years.
Officials have reportedly offered differing assessments to international partners on Iran’s timeline for resuming enrichment, ranging from as little as three years to as many as ten, reflecting a lack of internal consensus.
