Who are Suniel Kumar Sharma, Jaspreet Preeti Shahid? US sanctions couple aiding Iranian oil shipments
The enforcement targets 13 individuals and companies—including nine India-linked entities—that fabricated official vessel documentation to mask tankers operating on behalf of the Iranian regime and its military
The US administration has sanctioned an India-based businessman, his wife, and associated entities for running a criminal network that supplied fraudulent flags and fake documentation to help the Iranian regime's shadow fleet conceal its oil shipments and evade international restrictions.
The US administration has sanctioned an India-based businessman, his wife, and associated entities for running a criminal network that supplied fraudulent flags and fake documentation to help the Iranian regime's shadow fleet conceal its oil shipments and evade international restrictions.
The US administration has sanctioned an India-based businessman, his wife, and associated entities for running a criminal network that supplied fraudulent flags and fake documentation to help the Iranian regime's shadow fleet conceal its oil shipments and evade international restrictions.
As US President Donald Trump feels the heat of his Iran war decision, the Trump administration has sanctioned an India-based businessman and his wife for being part of “a criminal network that sells fraudulent flags to the Iranian regime’s shadow fleet of ships.”
The Department of the Treasury is taking these actions under Operation Economic Outcast, the Trump Administration’s campaign to cut off revenue the Iranian regime uses to fund terrorism, weapons proliferation, and its proxies across the Middle East. These individuals were helping Iran sell its oil by creating fake ship identification and documentation, the US said.
According to a statement by the US virtual embassy in Iran, India-based Suniel Kumar Sharma and his wife, Jaspreet Preeti Shahid, have formed companies that pose as the flag registries and maritime service providers of countries and jurisdictions such as Guyana, Eswatini, Aruba, Mali, Mozambique, Malawi, Sint Maarten, and Timor-Leste. They allegedly created websites and organisations that purported to represent maritime departments in various countries, even though they had not been granted any such authorisation by their governments.
The statement said the US was sanctioning 13 individuals and companies in the Sharma network, including two Indian nationals, Ashwani Kumar Dhiman and Ishvinder Singh. The duo were directors in companies linked to the couple. This action involves nine companies linked to India.
The flag on a ship indicates the country under whose laws it operates. With proper registration, that country's maritime agencies can monitor the ship. However, the US alleges that this network created fake documents and gave ships carrying Iranian oil the identities of other countries. This helped conceal the ships' true identities and their owners. According to the US, some of these ships were also operating for the Iranian military and its affiliates.
The US also sanctioned a Türkiye-based company that provides ground services to sanctioned Iranian airlines.