The US Treasury Department has blacklisted nine more ships to try to disrupt what it described as Iran’s “lethal aid” to Russia for its war in Ukraine.
The move is part of a coordinated effort with the UK, France and Germany, in which all four countries gave what they described as a “strong response” against Tehran for supplying Moscow with short-range ballistic missiles.
Among Washington’s latest targets are four vessels in the fleet of Russia’s MG-FLOT, an already sanctioned ship operator formerly known as Transmorflot, which US officials accuse of enabling Iranian delivery of weapons systems and components.
Ten people, including MG-FLOT chairman Dzhamaldin Emirmagomedovich Pashaev, and six companies in Iran and Russia were also blacklisted.
Deputy treasury secretary Wally Adeyemo said the action was in response to Iran’s “reckless decision” to supply missiles to Russia, even after international condemnation of its delivery of drones to Moscow.
“Iran has opted to intensify its involvement in Russia’s illegal war, and the US, along with our partners, will continue to stand with Ukraine,” he said.
The Treasury Department said Pashaev controls a network of Russian shipping companies that operate out of the Volga River port of Olya.
Drone assembly
Those companies have been involved in the transport of military goods, including transfers to the Special Economic Zone of Industrial Production Alabuga, where the US said aerial attack drones are assembled for the Russian defence ministry with Iran’s support.
The 2,572-dwt general cargo ship Boris Kustodiev (built 1994) was among MG-FLOT’s four sanctioned vessels.
Also added to the list were two multipurpose ships — the 5,185-dwt Port Olya-3 (built 2011) and Port Olya-4 (built 2014).
And Treasury blacklisted MG-FLOT’s 713-lane-metre Kompozitor Rakhmaninov (built 1986) — a ro-ro apparently named for the Russian composer and virtuoso pianist Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff.
The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control named five other general cargo ships that were added to the sanctions blacklist.
They include the 2,923-dwt Omskiy-103 (built 1978), 3,157-dwt Omskiy-119 (built 1980) and 3,605-dwt Zakamsk (built 1966) and their owner, Sea River Service.
Also added to the list was Russian company Vafa Wholesale and its 1,706-dwt Vafa and 952-dwt Vafa-1 (both built 1984).
Neither company could be reached for comment.
