The US has slapped sanctions on several entities and nine vessels, including those belonging to a Syrian shipowner, for their links to Iran and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
The latest action sanctions four vessels that officials said are part of the empire of Abdul Jalil Mallah, whom Treasury described as an “illicit shipping Syrian magnate” who aids Iran’s “malign activities” and those of its proxies.
The US Treasury Department added his brother, Luay al-Mallah, to its sanctions list for being a part of the shipping business.
The moves come amid tense times for Iran-backed Hezbollah, as it is engaged in a fierce fight with Israel.
The Mallah family ships now listed by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (Ofac) include the 47,200-dwt Confidence P (built 1999), a product tanker that shipbroker Clarksons says is in storage duty.
Also added to the Ofac list are the 8,955-dwt Queen Reem (built 1997), 3,481-dwt Rival (built 1994) and 112,700-dwt Tiyara (built 2002).
Mallah was sanctioned in 2021 for supporting Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force and Yemen’s Houthi rebels. His brother, who runs Turkey-based Oryx Denizcilik, is now accused of using the family ships to work with Houthi financial official Sa’id al-Jamal.
Facilitating illicit trade
“As recently as 2021, Luay al-Mallah managed a shipment for Sa’id al-Jamal. In 2021, Sa’id al-Jamal’s network used the [Queen Reem] and Tiyara to facilitate illicit trade between Iran and Syria,” the department said.
Oryx could not be reached for comment for this story.
- 47,200-dwt Confidence P (built 1999)
- 8,955-dwt Queen Reem (built 1997)
- 3,481-dwt Rival (built 1994)
- 112,700-dwt Tiyara (built 2002)
- 309,400-dwt Eternal Success (built 2005)
- 106,100-dwt Eternal 8 (built 2002)
- 159,600-dwt Eternal Peace (built 2004)
- 281,000-dwt Serene 1 (built 2000)
- 299,100-dwt Feng Tai (built 2002)
Bradley Smith, acting treasury undersecretary for terrorism & financial intelligence, said Iran is relying on illicit oil and LPG sales by the Quds Force and Hezbollah to fund terrorist proxies.
“Treasury remains committed to disrupting the networks of shippers, brokers and buyers that facilitate these schemes,” he said.
US officials also sanctioned China’s Star Ocean Shipmanage and three vessels under its management.
Among them was the 309,400-dwt Eternal Success (built 2005), a VLCC that Treasury accused of being used to facilitate illicit trades as recently as July, by manipulating location transponder data to disguise its movements to transfer oil to another vessel.
Also added to the list was the 106,100-dwt product tanker Eternal 8 (built 2002), which is accused of cargo transfers related to Iran.
The 159,600-dwt suezmax tanker Eternal Peace (built 2004) was sanctioned too.
Shandong-based Star Ocean could not be immediately reached for comment.
Shipowners targeted
The Treasury Department added two shipowning entities, Marshall Islands-registered Dragon Road and Hong Kong-based Tai Feng Hai Shipping, to the sanctions list maintained by Ofac.
Dragon Road is owner of the 281,000-dwt Serene I (built 2000), a tanker accused of carrying Quds Force-controlled commodities on behalf of Concepto Screen SAL Offshore, a company that is allegedly affiliated with Hezbollah.
Tai Feng is the owner of the 299,100-dwt Feng Tai (built 2002), which was sanctioned for similar reasons.
Neither company could be reached for comment.
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