Treasury Intensifies Pressure on Shamkhani’s Expansive Illicit Shipping Empire

Washington: Today, the Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is intensifying its efforts to disrupt and degrade the illicit shipping and sanctions evasion network of Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani. This action is part of Treasury's ongoing efforts to ramp up economic pressure on the Iranian regime after it resumed destabilizing attacks in the Strait of Hormuz. The Shamkhani network remains a major force behind Iran's oil exports and has expanded into global containerized shipping and commodities trading. According to U.S. Department of the Treasury, the Iranian regime survives on deception, and the Shamkhani network is one of its most profitable engines, said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. Treasury is shutting down the financial infrastructure that allows the regime to continue its threats to U.S. national security and global shipping. Today's action includes more than 50 individuals, entities, and vessels that enable Shamkhani and the Iranian regime to continue profitin g while the Iranian people remain burdened under the economic yoke imposed by their government. Today's action builds on OFAC's April 2026 and July 2025 designation actions targeting the Shamkhani network, and Treasury has now sanctioned more than 200 individuals, entities, and vessels operating under Shamkhani's patronage. Today's action is being taken pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13902, which provides authority to the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, to identify and impose sanctions on key sectors of Iran's economy. Today's action also reflects OFAC's ongoing close collaboration with Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). Treasury continues to target Iranian oil sales under the President's National Security Presidential Memorandum 2 (NSPM-2). Iranian nationals Hossein Ghorbani Zahed and Mohammad Reza Rahbar Madani, both of whom also hold Dominica passports, have worked as primary financiers for Shamkhani's network, providing it with exchange house services including access to foreign currency and shell companies based outside of Iran. Madani and Zahed are essential for the network's ability to trade in sanctioned goods and recoup the proceeds. Zahed is the beneficial owner of British Virgin Islands- and Dubai-based Golden Nest Group Ltd, and the director of Dubai-based BSG Management Ltd. Iranian and Russian dual national Ali Rakhbarmadani, one of Shamkhani's closest business associates, is linked to multiple companies within the network, including sanctioned companies Koban Shipping L.L.C., Crios Shipping L.L.C., and Marvise SMC DMCC. Ali Rakhbarmadani is also the owner of Dubai-based Al Kina Commercial Broker LLC-a company tied to the Shamkhani network-and was the deputy chief executive officer of sanctioned Oriel Group prior to its designation. Ali Rakhbarmadani effectively operated as the head of shipping for Shamkhani, handling much of the network's communications with customers and partners. Ali Rakhbarmadani encouraged the Russian side of the Shamkhani network's trade to find ways to avoid the price cap on Russian oil to maximize profits following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Martin Austin Kaalund, a Danish national, and Alessandra Ronco, an Italian national, both spent years as executives of sanctioned Shamkhani shipping oversight company House of Shipping Investment FZCO, most recently as the global chief financial officer and global chief executive officer, respectively. Kaalund and Ronco played key day-to-day and strategic roles in House of Shipping's operations. Kaalund and Ronco are the co-founders and managers of Dubai-based Evorit Strategy Consulting LLC-FZ. Asghar Aghili Dehkordi, an Iranian national, has also served in a strategy role for multiple Shamkhani network companies, including sanctioned Milavous Group Ltd. Indian national Jijin George and Iranian national Behzad Moghadas are involved in facilitating the operation of vessels within the Shamkhani fleet. George is an employee of sanctioned company Teodor Shipping L.L.C. Ga utam Vishavdeep, an Indian national, is a manager within the Shamkhani network, facilitating shipments of Iranian oil and coordinating with network partners. British national Maksim Tsernosjov is a senior vessel inspector in Shamkhani's illicit shipping network. UAE-based Dezera Shipping FZCO provides management services for Shamkhani vessels OPAL (IMO 9467158) and JADE (IMO 9418999), including serving as a billing company. UAE-based Glavos Shipping FZCO is a service provider to the Shamkhani fleet. The Treasury's actions demonstrate a rigorous pursuit of those involved in the network, aiming to halt the operations that allow Iran to circumvent international sanctions and continue its oil exports and shipping activities. The overall goal is to curtail the regime's capacity to fund destabilizing activities and pressurize it into compliance with international norms.