Business

 IIE DIGITAL DESK :significant move targeting international networks supporting Iran’s oil trade, the United States has sanctioned a UAE-based Indian national and his four India-linked companies. The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced the sanctions as part of efforts to tighten restrictions on Iran’s energy exports, which Washington claims are used to fund terrorism and destabilizing activities in the Middle East.

The individual named in the sanctions is Jugwinder Singh Brar, an Indian national operating out of the United Arab Emirates. According to U.S. authorities, Brar and his companies played a key role in facilitating shipments of Iranian crude oil, often using deceptive practices to conceal the origin of the oil. His firms—Flux Maritime LLP (Mumbai), BSM Marine LLP (Gurugram), Austinship Management Pvt Ltd (Noida), and Cosmos Shipping Inc. (linked to Tamil Nadu and the Marshall Islands)—were allegedly involved in managing and operating vessels used in the transportation of Iranian oil to buyers in Asia.

The sanctions block all property and interests in property belonging to the designated individuals and entities within the United States or under the control of U.S. persons. They also bar any U.S.-based transactions involving these entities, effectively isolating them from the international financial system. This move follows a series of similar actions by the U.S. aimed at curbing Iran’s ability to generate revenue through energy exports.

The latest sanctions underline Washington’s continued focus on dismantling global facilitation networks tied to Tehran. They also signal that the U.S. will pursue legal and financial measures against individuals and entities across jurisdictions that are allegedly involved in circumventing sanctions.