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US announces new sanctions against shipping company linked to Iranian military

by Nate Ostiller and The Kyiv Independent news desk April 5, 2024 11:45 AM 1 min read

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Russian President Vladimir Putin during a joint news conference on July 19, 2022, in Tehran, Iran. Photo for illustrative purposes. (Mohammadreza Abbasi ATPImages/Getty Images)

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The U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced new sanctions on April 4 against the company Oceanlink Maritime DMCC for its role in shipping material for the Iranian military.

OFAC said that the move was in part guided by the goal of "disrupting Iran's ability to...support Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine."

Tehran and Moscow have deepened their military and political cooperation since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Iran has provided Russia with thousands of Shahed kamikaze drones used in airstrikes against Ukraine and has helped Moscow build a drone factory in Russia.

In February, Reuters reported that Iran had already sent 400 ballistic missiles to Russia. Ukrainian authorities have not confirmed this claim.

Oceanlink Maritime DMCC reportedly operates a fleet of at least 12 vessels that ship commodities for Iran, including for the Iranian military, OFAC said.

"The U.S. will continue to use our full range of tools to target the illicit funding streams that enable Iran's destabilizing activities in the region and around the world," said Treasury official Brian Nelson.

Authors: Nate Ostiller, The Kyiv Independent news desk

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