The U.S. government on Monday announced sanctions against three people and nine companies, including four based in Hong Kong and four in the United Arab Emirates, for aiding Iran's shipment of oil to China. The ninth company is based in Oman.
Treasury said the new designations by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) were aimed at individuals and entities that helped Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps sell and ship its allotment of Iranian oil to China using a series of front companies.
The companies targeted include:
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- Hong Kong-based Hong Kong Blue Ocean Ltd and Hong Kong-based Hong Kong Sanmu Ltd, both of which Treasury described as cover companies that arrange the sale and shipment of Iranian oil.
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- Dubai-based Ocean Allianz Shipping LLC and Sharjah-based Atic Energy FZE, which facilitated shipments of Iranian oil on five sanctioned shadow fleet tankers in 2025.
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- Oman-based Zeus Logistics Group, which arranged vessels to carry Iranian oil cargoes.
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- Hong Kong-based Jiandi HK Ltd, which signed a deal with the IRGC to purchase tens of millions of dollars of Iranian oil.
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- Hong Kong-based Max Honor International Trade Co Ltd, which purchased millions of barrels of Iranian oil from the IRGC in 2025.
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- Dubai-based Blanca Goods Wholesaler LLC.
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- Dubai-based Universal Fortune Trading LLC, which Treasury said had also been used as a front company by the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC).