Iran set export records by selling $90 billion in U.S.-sanctioned oil, according to watchdog United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), which highlighted the Biden administration's "hesitance to enforce oil sanctions on Iran."
Iran's biggest buyer is China, which buys four of five barrels exported by Iran despite the sanctions imposed in 2019. Iran's illicit oil sales are funding terrorists in the Middle East, including the Houthis of Yemen, who actively target Western cargo ships in the Red Sea.
"It is crucial that the United States prioritizes the identification and sanctioning of these vessels to effectively crack down on Iran's illicit oil trade," UANI Chief of Staff Claire Jungman told the Washington Free Beacon. "Immediate, decisive action is required to reinforce the sanctions framework and prevent the further erosion of global security. The time for half-measures has passed."
Iran's fleet of oil tankers — dubbed its ghost armada — has grown from 70 in 2020 to at least 395, according to UANI, since the Biden administration's reversal of President Donald Trump's "maximum pressure" campaign, according to UANI.
"This suspected ghost armada, distinct from but complementing Iran's own NITC tanker fleet, has skirted U.S. sanctions and exploited regulatory loopholes to ship millions of barrels of Iranian oil," UANI wrote last week.
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
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