America Imposes New Oil Sanctions on Iran's 'Shadow Fleet'

In an escalatory move against Iran, the U.S. Treasury Department announced yesterday, Friday, January 23, 2026, a new set of sanctions targeting nine oil tankers and eight entities linked to what is known as Iran's 'Shadow Fleet.'

These measures come as part of tightening the noose around Iran following its bloody crackdown on protesters.

Treasury Secretary Scott Piesen confirmed that the sanctions target a key mechanism relied upon by the Iranian regime to raise funds used to suppress its people, noting that the department will continue to track tens of millions of dollars that the regime is attempting to transfer to banks outside of Iran.

The department stated that these tankers, along with their owners and operating companies, including entities based in India, Oman, and the UAE, have transported hundreds of millions of dollars worth of Iranian oil and its derivatives to global markets.

For his part, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose a 25% tariff on any entity dealing with Iran, at a time when internal protests are waning after a wave of repression that has claimed the lives of thousands, including some bystanders, according to human rights organizations that describe these events as the largest crackdown since the Iranian revolution of 1979.

While Trump has repeatedly threatened intervention in Iran, his tone towards Tehran seems to have softened recently with the calm of protests; however, the new U.S. sanctions reaffirm ongoing pressure on the Iranian regime in the economic and international arena.