Over a dozen ships are blocked by the US in support of Iran’s military because they facilitate illicit trade

Washington: According to a statement released by the US State Department on Thursday, the US designated one organisation and identified 13 related vessels as prohibited property for aiding illegal transactions in support of Iran’s military.

One vessel’s name is also being updated by the US on the list of Blocked Persons and Specially Designated Nationals (SDN).

Encouraging Illicit Trade
The official statement from the US State Department stated, “To facilitate illicit trade in support of Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff (AFGS) and Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL), the United States is designating one entity, identifying 13 associated vessels as blocked property, and updating one vessel name on the SDN List today.”

According to the statement, the US will keep taking action against organisations that ship goods or mediate deals in favour of the AFGS, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, MODAFL, or Iran’s overseas proxies and partner organisations.

Disruption of Unauthorised Funding Sources
The statement also said, “We remain committed to disrupting illicit funding streams financing Iran’s production of weapons that support Russia’s war against Ukraine and the attacks by Iranian proxy groups throughout the Middle East.”

In February, the US also placed sanctions on four organisations that served as front firms and affiliates for Pishtazan Kavosh Gostar Boshra (PKGB) and US-designated Hamed Dehghan.

According to the US State Department, these organisations have provided Iran’s ballistic missile and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) programmes with sensitive technology and supplies, including the Shahed-series UAVs that the Russian military is using against Ukraine.

Performing acts of terror using UAVs
manufactured in Iran UAVs are used to carry out acts of terror, such as the many assaults on US servicemen that have resulted in the deaths of US soldiers by militia groups with ties to Iran.

Iran-supported According to the US State Department, the Houthis have also used Iranian-made UAVs and missiles to wage assaults on US naval installations and commercial ships.

It stated that the US is dedicated to using all channels at its disposal to identify and bring to justice those who have helped the Iranian regime proliferate, as this directly affects US personnel stationed there, adds to the instability of the Middle East, and supports Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.