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United States broadens sanctions versus Iran's 'ghost fleet' of oil tankers

The United States broadened sanctions versus Iran's petroleum and petrochemical sectors on Friday in response to an Iranian missile attack on Israel, the administration of President Joe Biden said.

The U.S. relocation adds petroleum and petrochemicals to an executive order that targets essential sectors of Iran's economy with the objective of rejecting the federal government funds to support its nuclear and rocket programs.

The new classifications today also include steps versus the 'Ghost Fleet' that brings Iran's illegal oil to buyers around the world, Jake Sullivan, the nationwide security advisor, said in a declaration. These steps will help even more deny Iran financial resources used to support its rocket programs and provide support for terrorist groups that threaten the United States, its allies, and partners.

Israel is vowing to respond to Iran's Oct. 1 missile attack, introduced in retaliation for Israeli strikes in Lebanon and Gaza and the killing of a Hamas leader in Iran.

The U.S. Treasury can now impose sanctions on anyone identified to operate in the petroleum and petrochemical sectors of the Iranian economy, it stated in a declaration.

Biden has actually said Israel must seek options to assaulting Iran's oil fields. Gulf states are lobbying Washington to stop Israel from attacking oil websites because they are concerned their own facilities could come under fire from Tehran's proxies if the conflict intensifies, three Gulf sources told Reuters.

The Treasury Department also stated it was designating 16 entities and identifying 17 vessels as blocked home, pointing out their involvement in shipments of petroleum and petrochemical items in support of the National Iranian Oil Company.

Concurrently, the State Department took steps to interfere with the money flow into Iran's weapons programs and support for terrorist proxies and partners.

It imposed sanctions on 6 entities involved in Tehran's. petroleum trade and identified 6 ships as blocked residential or commercial property.

(source: Reuters)