US Sanctions 17 Vessels Linked To Iran's Shadow Fleet

The US Treasury Department announced new sanctions on October 8 targeting 17 vessels and companies accused of helping Iran transport crude oil, petroleum products, and petrochemicals in violation of US sanctions.

The action is part of Operation Economic Outcast, a campaign launched in August to restrict Iran's access to foreign revenue and disrupt networks used to evade sanctions.

According to the Treasury Department, the targeted vessels have transported millions of barrels of Iranian oil and petroleum products to markets in South and East Asia. The ships operate under flags registered in multiple jurisdictions, while ownership and management are often linked to companies based in other countries.

The designated vessels include the Comoros-flagged tanker Paritosh, the Panama-flagged Bitu and Starway, and the Bahamas-flagged Gas Lucky. The Treasury Department also sanctioned companies associated with the vessels for operating in Iran's petroleum and petrochemical sectors.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the United States would continue targeting networks that enable Iran’s oil sales and sanctions evasion.

"Treasury is starving the tyrannical regime in Tehran of the money it uses to wage war in the region, and we will continue exposing those who enable the regime's oil sales," Bessent said in a Treasury Department statement. "No enabler of Iranian sanctions evasion is safe from the full force of Treasury’s authorities."

The measures block relevant property under US jurisdiction and generally prohibit US persons from conducting transactions with designated entities. Certain foreign financial institutions and other non-US actors may also face sanctions exposure for specified dealings with sanctioned parties.

The Treasury Department said it would continue monitoring Iran's shipping networks and taking action against efforts to circumvent sanctions.

In New Report, US Accuses Iran Of Recruiting Child Soldiers

The US State Department has placed Iran in the lowest tier in its assessment of government efforts to combat human trafficking, addressing allegations that Tehran recruits children for military and security purposes, including in armed groups operating in the region.

This classification indicates that a government does not fully meet minimum standards for combating human trafficking and is not making significant efforts to meet them.

Previous State Department reports have documented that the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), the Basij paramilitary force, and Iran-backed armed groups recruited or used members of other vulnerable groups, including Afghan migrants and refugees, for military purposes.

In March, Human Rights Watch (HRW) condemned an IRGC campaign inviting children as young as 12 to volunteer for activities described as defending the homeland. Advertised duties included cooking, providing medical assistance, distributing supplies, staffing checkpoints, conducting intelligence and operational patrols, and escorting vehicles.

HRW warned that involving children in military or security activities exposed them to serious risks. Although the advertised duties do not establish that every recruit participated in combat, operational and intelligence assignments raise concerns about potential involvement in hostilities.

Separately, reports and images circulating in Iranian media and on social media have also raised concerns about the presence of children among Basij and other security personnel during violent government crackdowns on nationwide protests earlier this year.

Under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, conscripting or enlisting children under 15 into armed forces or armed groups, or using them to participate actively in hostilities, can constitute a war crime under applicable conditions. Recruitment or use of older minors may also violate international obligations, depending on the circumstances.