UAE-Based Indian Maritime Magnate Sanctioned for Iranian Oil Trade

The US Treasury has sanctioned Jugwinder Singh Brar, an Indian national based in the UAE, along with his associated entities, for involvement in the illicit shipping of Iranian oil. Operating as part of Iran’s 'shadow fleet,' Brar's companies engage in risky ship-to-ship transfers, bypassing sanctions and falsifying documents.

The United States Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on Jugwinder Singh Brar, an Indian national operating from the UAE, and two India-based entities linked to him, citing their roles in Iran's 'shadow fleet' of oil shipping. The sanctions focus on Brar's ownership and control over a network of ships facilitating the covert movement of Iranian oil in defiance of existing measures against Iran by the international community.

Brar's fleet involves nearly 30 vessels that perform high-risk ship-to-ship transfers in strategic waters near the Persian Gulf, Iraq, and Oman. The US Department of the Treasury outlined Brar's operations as part of a broader effort to finance Iran's destabilizing global activities. These entities, accused of blending Iranian oil with other products to disguise its origin, facilitate the sale of the crude on the international market, ignoring regulatory frameworks.

Such activities have led to further isolation of Iranian oil from the market by tightening restrictions on these operations. Following this decision, any property or interests held by the designated parties within US jurisdiction are frozen, and American citizens are barred from engaging in transactions with the affected entities. The sanctions underscore the US government's sustained commitment to impeding Iranian oil exports and its associated revenue streams.

(With inputs from agencies.)