WASHINGTON — The United States has imposed sanctions on members of an international oil smuggling network, the leaders of which have provided support for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which is also referred to as Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF). In a statement on Friday, the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the move "targets an oil broker from Oman who, in partnership with senior IRGC-QF officials, has used several companies to facilitate shipments of Iranian oil to foreign customers". Two of these companies are based in Oman and one is registered in Liberia. The broker also controls a company in Romania, according to the statement. "The IRGC-QF has been using revenue from Iranian petroleum sales to fund its malign activities. These sales depend on foreign intermediaries to obscure the IRGC-QF's involvement. The United State will continue to expose and disrupt those supporting such efforts," the statement added. Earlier in the day, the US Department of Treasury said that its Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is designating individuals and businesses involved in an international oil smuggling network that supports IRGC-QF. "The action targets a foreign broker, Mahmood Rashid Amur Al Habsi, who has partnered with senior IRGC-QF officials and used several companies to facilitate shipments of Iranian oil to foreign customers, including buyers in East Asia," the US Department of Treasury said in the statement. "The IRGC-QF is using revenues from its Iranian petroleum sales to fund its malign activities at the expense of the Iranian people," said Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control Andrea M. Gacki. "These sales rely on key foreign intermediaries to obscure the IRGC-QF's involvement, and Treasury will continue to disrupt and expose anyone supporting these efforts."
