U.S. Sanctions Fake Ship Registries Used by Iran’s Tankers
Treasury on Nov. 4 sanctioned an India-based network it said sold false flags to Iran’s shadow fleet tankers, and OFAC issued an industry alert.
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned an India-based network on Nov. 4, 2026, that it said sold fraudulent ship flags and certificates to tankers carrying Iranian oil, Treasury said.
The action targeted Suniel Kumar Sharma, his wife Jaspreet Preeti Shahid and companies Treasury said they control. The State Department said the action covered 13 individuals and companies in the network.
How the registries worked
Treasury said the couple operated from Chandigarh, India, and posed as the flag registries and maritime agencies of countries that had not authorized them. The registries claimed to act for Guyana, Eswatini, Aruba, Mali, Mozambique, Malawi, Sint Maarten and Timor-Leste, among others, according to Treasury.
The network bought web domains and built websites offering flagging, seafarer certification and vessel classification, Treasury said. It said the activity began as early as 2014, when the couple sought to impersonate Dominica’s flag authority.
Treasury said a Singapore company, Eswatini Maritime Affairs and International Ship Registry, kept flagging vessels after Eswatini publicly disavowed it. Those vessels included the sanctioned tanker PING SHUN, according to Treasury.
Treasury also cited the MAJESTIC X, a false Guyana-flagged tanker that the U.S. Department of War seized on April 22, 2026, while it carried Iranian oil. The State Department said most of the impersonated governments have publicly disavowed the registries.
Why false flags matter
Falsely flagged ships carry no valid protection and indemnity insurance, Treasury said. It said such vessels could cause billions of dollars in damage to coastal economies in an accident.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) published an alert the same day titled “Iranian Shadow Fleet Reliance on False Flags for Sanctions Evasion,” its recent-actions notice said. Treasury said the alert warns the maritime industry to screen vessels against such registries.
Aviation target in Türkiye
OFAC also designated Türkiye-based Fugo Ground Services Inc for providing ground handling to sanctioned Iranian airlines, Treasury said. Treasury named Iran Air Tour, Saha Airlines, Sepehran Airlines, Varesh Airlines, Taban Airlines and Ata Airlines among its clients.
All designations were made under Executive Order 13902, which targets Iran’s petroleum, petrochemical and aviation sectors, according to Treasury. Treasury said the actions form part of Operation Economic Outcast, which Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced on Aug. 24, 2026.
“We know where you are, and we will sanction those who continue supporting the Iranian regime, whether by land, sea, or air,” Bessent said in the Treasury statement.
What it means
Analysis: The action targets the paperwork behind tanker voyages rather than the tankers alone. A ship needs a flag and certificates to call at most ports and to obtain insurance. Removing the registries that supply them raises costs for every vessel that relied on them. The named people and firms have not responded publicly in the sources cited here.
Sources
- U.S. Treasury: Operation Economic Outcast Targets Global Maritime Fraud Network Supporting Iranian Regime
- U.S. State Department: U.S. Sanctions Fraudulent Ship Registries and Aviation Support for Iranian Regime
- OFAC: Recent actions, Nov. 4, 2026
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Featured photo: An oil tanker in the North Sea (file photo). Photo: ImagePerson, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.
