Credit: scmwiki2012.wordpress.com/  The United States seized a multimillion-dollar Iranian fuel shipment in August bound for Venezuela, the largest-ever seizure of its kind.

By Gary Raynaldo   DIPLOMATIC TIMES

The United States Thursday announced the filing of a complaint to seek the forfeiture of two shipments of Iranian missiles  to militant groups in Yemen, as well as the sale of approximately 1.1 million barrels of petroleum worth approximately $40 million bound for Venezuela.  These actions represent the U.S. government’s largest-ever forfeiture actions for fuel and weapons shipments from Iran, the U.S. Department of Justice said. Officials say the proceeds of the oil will go to a special fund for victims of state-sponsored terrorism. The U.S. said it  will continue to prevent the Iranian regime from using the Iranian people’s natural resources to fund terror and support oppression. The U.S. DOJ  had previously filed a complaint seeking to forfeit all petroleum-product cargo aboard four foreign-flagged oil tankers, including the M/T Bella with international maritime organization (IMO) number 9208124, the M/T Bering with IMO number 9149225, the M/T Pandi with IMO number 9105073, and the M/T Luna with IMO number 9208100 . US Navy warships in November and February interdicted flagless vessels in the Arabian Sea that US officials say contained Iranian-made advanced conventional weapons.  According to the complaint, experts determined that the guided anti-tank missiles, surface-to-air missiles and other weapons were of Iranian origin and destined for militant groups in Yemen.

“Instead of providing for their people, the Iranian regime’s brutal leaders continue to use Iran’s revenues to support destabilizing activities in the Middle East and support terrorism around the world.  The United States will not waver in our efforts to pursue any entity or individual helping the Iranian regime evade our sanctions.”

-U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo

Credit:  U.S. Department of Justice /  U.S. seized foreign-flagged oil tanker The M/T Bella with international maritime organization (IMO) number 9208124 carrying Iranian cargo bound for Venezuela.

 Treasury Sanctions Companies Selling, Purchasing, and Enabling Iranian Petrochemical Products

 The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) Thursday designated eight entities for their involvement in the sale and purchase of Iranian petrochemical products brokered by Triliance Petrochemical Co. Ltd. (Triliance), an entity designated by Treasury in January 2020. These entities, based in Iran, China, and Singapore, engaged in transactions facilitated by Triliance or otherwise assisted Triliance’s efforts to process and move funds generated by the sale of those petrochemical products. Iranian petrochemical sales remain a key revenue source for the Iranian regime, which is used to finance the regime’s destabilizing agenda of support to corrupt regimes and terrorist groups throughout the Middle East and, more recently, Venezuela, according to the OFAC.

“The Iranian regime benefits from a global network of entities facilitating the Iranian petrochemical sector,” said Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin. “The United States remains committed to targeting any revenue source the Iranian regime uses to fund terrorist groups and oppress the Iranian people.”

According to the  OFAC, Iranian petrochemical firms Morvarid Petrochemical (Morvarid) and Arya Sasol Polymer Company (Arya Sasol) hold a substantial presence in the Iranian petrochemicals market. Morvarid has used the services of Triliance to broker the sale of tens of thousands of metric tons of petrochemicals, valued at tens of millions of dollars, to foreign buyers. Likewise, since 2019, Triliance has brokered sales of petrochemicals valued at several million dollars from Arya Sasol. As a customer of Arya Sasol, Singapore-based Jiaxiang Energy Holding PTE. LTD (Jiaxiang Energy), has purchased the equivalent of millions of dollars in petrochemicals from Arya Sasol, sales which were brokered by Triliance.

Morvarid, Arya Sasol, Triliance, and Jiaxiang Energy have used multiple Chinese companies to enable and hide the sale and purchase of Iranian petrochemical products, according to OFAC.   Since 2019, Arya Sasol has used Binrin Limited (Binrin) to collect the proceeds of its foreign petrochemical sales, while Elfo Energy Holding Limited (Elfo Energy), Glory Advanced Limited (Glory Advanced), Jane Shang Co. Limited (Jane Shang), and Sibshur Limited (Sibshur) have been used by Triliance to help settle, process, and transfer millions of dollars in proceeds from petrochemical product sales, OFAC stated. 

Morvarid, Arya Sasol, Jiaxiang Energy, Elfo Energy, Glory Advanced, Jane Shang, and Sibshur are being designated, pursuant to E.O. 13846, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, Triliance. Binrin Limited is being designated, pursuant to E.O. 13846, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, Arya Sasol, according to OFAC.