OFAC Expands Iran Shadow Fleet Crackdown as 12 More Tankers and Gas Carriers Sanctioned
U.S. Treasury just widened its Iran “shadow fleet” net by designating 12 additional vessels and a slate of owners and operators tied to moving Iranian petroleum and petrochemical cargoes. The list is notable for how much it leans into gas and dirty-products logistics (LPG, HSFO, condensate, naphtha, and even “grey ammonia”), which is where sanctions-evasion trade often tries to hide in plain sight.
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U.S. Treasury adds 12 more Iran-linked “shadow fleet” vessels
On Feb 25, 2026, OFAC sanctioned over 30 individuals, entities, and vessels, including a set of 12 “shadow fleet” ships accused of transporting hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of Iranian petroleum and petrochemical cargoes. The named ships include multiple LPG carriers plus tankers linked to HSFO, condensate, and naphtha movements.
- Named vessels: HOOT, OCEAN KOI, NORTH STAR, FELICITA, ATEELA 1, ATEELA 2, NIBA, LUMA, REMIZ, DANUTA I, ALAA, GAS FATE.
- Notable cargo focus: LPG and refined products feature heavily; one vessel is tied to “grey ammonia” movements.
- Practical market effect: compliance screening pressure rises quickly around ownership, operators, and voyage support services linked to these hulls.
This round tightens the operational space for Iran-linked liftings by adding 12 additional hulls and their controlling companies to sanctions exposure, increasing friction around chartering, port services, and insurance on routes tied to Iranian cargo flows.
| Vessel | Flag cited by OFAC | IMO | OFAC-linked cargo pattern | Owner or operator named | Fast operational consequence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HOOT | Panama | 9267962 | Iranian LPG cargoes; OFAC cites deliveries including Bangladesh (2025). | Poros Maritime Ventures S.A. (Panama-based) | Higher compliance friction on LPG liftings and voyage support tied to the hull and controlling company. |
| OCEAN KOI | Barbados | 9255933 | HSFO and condensate; OFAC cites millions of barrels since May 2025. | Ocean Kudos Shipping Co Ltd (Marshall Islands-based) | Counterparty screening pressure rises on dirty-product flows and any reflag/ownership opacity tied to the ship. |
| NORTH STAR | Barbados | 9299563 | HSFO; OFAC cites nearly 2 million barrels since late 2025. | Mistral Fleet Co Ltd (BVI-based) | Freight, insurance, and port services become higher risk touchpoints for voyages linked to Iranian product movements. |
| FELICITA | Comoros | 9167162 | HSFO and naphtha; OFAC cites multiple million-barrel movements since 2023. | Vast Marine Inc (Liberia-registered) | Dirty-products logistics face sharper diligence around documentation, ownership, and operator controls. |
| ATEELA 1 | Iran | 9548990 | Iranian petroleum products linked to NIOC; OFAC cites activity since late 2025. | Behengam Tadbir Qeshm Shipping and Maritime Services Company (Iran-based) | Direct Iran-flag exposure concentrates sanctions screening on port calls, services, and counterparties touching the voyage chain. |
| ATEELA 2 | Iran | 9549009 | Iranian petroleum products linked to NIOC; OFAC cites activity since late 2025. | Behengam Tadbir Qeshm Shipping and Maritime Services Company (Iran-based) | Same trade channel as ATEELA 1; tighter risk posture for any parties providing services or finance support. |
| NIBA | Palau | 9046784 | Iranian LPG (butane/propane); OFAC cites millions of barrels since 2025 and shadow fleet use since at least 2020. | Paros Maritime S.A. (Panama-based) | LPG corridors into Asia face higher friction around chartering and service provisioning linked to the ship and owner. |
| LUMA | Vanuatu | 9034690 | Iranian LPG to end users including Bangladesh and Pakistan since late 2025 (OFAC also notes prior Venezuelan LPG). | Wansa Gas Shipping Co. (Marshall Islands-based) | LPG trades to South Asia get an additional sanctions-screening focal point, especially around end-user transparency. |
| REMIZ | Panama | 9223344 | Iranian oil to East Asia; OFAC cites millions of barrels since 2025. | Goldwave Maritime Services Inc (Marshall Islands-based) | East Asia-facing liftings see heightened diligence and increased probability of service denials where screening is strict. |
| DANUTA I | Palau | 9193721 | Iranian LPG to East Asia; OFAC cites millions of barrels since 2023. | Ithaki Maritime and Trading S.A. (Panama-based) | LPG chain risk rises around chartering documentation, port services, and any financial touchpoints tied to the hull. |
| ALAA | Palau | 9155341 | Iranian LPG shipments since 2022; OFAC cites deliveries including Türkiye. | Kaito Navigation SA (Liberia-based) | Türkiye-linked LPG routing becomes a sharper screening point as OFAC spotlights jurisdictions used in the logistics chain. |
| GAS FATE | Panama | 9147394 | Iranian “grey ammonia” movements since 2024; OFAC cites over 1 million barrels. | NYR Shipping Co. (Marshall Islands-based) | Non-traditional cargo pathways tied to Iran-linked petrochemicals draw more enforcement focus and screening intensity. |
OFAC’s write-up highlights repeated patterns: opaque ownership, product trades that are harder to trace than crude, and routes into South Asia, East Asia, and Türkiye. The action also sits alongside a broader Treasury package that referenced multiple legal authorities and additional non-shipping designations tied to missile and advanced conventional weapons procurement networks.
Signals inside the 12-vessel set
- LPG-heavy emphasis: multiple gas carriers are named (HOOT, NIBA, LUMA, DANUTA I, ALAA), suggesting enforcement focus on gas and related petrochemical logistics, not only crude.
- Dirty products remain central: HSFO, condensate, and naphtha movements are repeatedly cited (OCEAN KOI, NORTH STAR, FELICITA).
- Unusual commodity angle: GAS FATE is linked by OFAC to “grey ammonia,” expanding the enforcement lens beyond typical oil cargo headlines.
- Flag and ownership dispersion: multiple flags and offshore registrations appear across the list, reinforcing the “shell structure” enforcement theme.
Voyage exposure quick score
This is a fast internal triage gauge for operations teams. It does not replace formal screening, but it mirrors the friction points that typically show up first when OFAC expands a vessel list.
By adding 12 more hulls plus their owners and operators, OFAC increases the chance that voyages touching Iranian-linked petroleum and petrochemical chains face higher denial risk and slower execution around chartering, port services, and insurance, with LPG and dirty-product logistics clearly in the enforcement spotlight this round.
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