Shafaq News- Washington

The US imposed sanctions on 14 alleged shadow fleet vessels and 15 entities and two individuals for “knowingly” engaging in significant transactions related to Iranian crude oil, petroleum products, and petrochemicals, the Treasury Department announced on Friday.

In a statement, the department said that “the vessels managed have moved millions of barrels of Iranian crude oil and play a key role in the Iranian export supply chain.  They have also regularly engaged in dark activity and other deceptive shipping practices, endangering other vessels and legitimate trade flows.”

All designations were issued under Executive Order 13846, which authorizes the reimposition of sanctions on Iran. Additionally, all property and interests in property of the sanctioned parties within US jurisdiction are blocked, and US persons are prohibited from engaging in transactions with them without authorization.

The sanctions followed the conclusion of indirect nuclear negotiations between Iran and the United States earlier on Friday in Muscat. Following the session, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said that the talks had wrapped up "for the time being," noting that the Omani capital remains a viable venue for future rounds of discussion.

The talks took place among heightened regional friction and a fresh diplomatic push to resolve the long-standing impasse between Washington and Tehran. US President Donald Trump conveyed broader demands to Tehran, including dismantling nuclear and missile capabilities and ending support for regional allies such as Lebanon’s Hezbollah, Yemen’s Houthis (Ansarallah), and armed groups in Iraq. However, Iran has consistently rebuffed these terms.

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