Washington: Amid reports of the United States moving forces to attack Iran, nine oil tankers and their owners have been hit by new US sanctions on Friday. According to reports, Trump’s administration targeted the so-called ‘shadow-fleet’ of Iran’s oil tankers that Tehran uses to support its oil exports. Why Iran Has Been Hit With New Sanctions Speaking after US imposed new sanctions, Treasury Department Secretary Scott Bessent said that Tehran has been penalised for shutting down internet access to conceal its abuses amid nationwide protests in the country against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.“They have targeted a critical component of how Iran generates the funds used to repress its own people,” Treasury Secretary Bessent said. Why Iran Blocked Internet AccessProtesters hold placards during a rally in support of the nationwide mass demonstrations in Iran. Iranians and Iranian businesses have been struggling under the longest and most comprehensive internet shutdown in the history of the Islamic Republic. The government blocked internet access on January 8 as nationwide protests led to a crackdown on information sharing. What is Iran’s Shadow Fleet of Oil Tankers?A view of anchored oil tankers The Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control said the nine targeted vessels — flagged from Palau, Panama, and other jurisdictions — are part of a shadow fleet, a network of older tankers used to transport goods that are subject to international sanctions, notably from Russia and Iran. The US sanctions aim to prevent the targeted Iranians from doing business with Americans or accessing US accounts. Friday's action is part of an ongoing buildup of tensions between the US and the theocratic nation as an American aircraft carrier group inches closer to the Middle East. President Donald Trump called the group an “armada” in comments to journalists aboard Air Force One late Thursday. US Moving Big Ships Towards Iran Trump added that the US was moving the ships toward Iran "just in case" he wants to take action against Iran's government.
