US sanctions oil smuggling network and 11 vessels over Hezbollah and Qods Force funding

The US Treasury on 3 November designated four individuals, about 24 entities and 11 vessels in an oil smuggling network that it says generated revenue for Hezbollah and Iran's IRGC-Qods Force. Treasury says the network stored oil in Sharjah in the UAE, blended Indian-origin products with Iranian oil to conceal its origin and forged certificates of origin and quality. It names Viktor Artemov as running a web of front companies used for the shipments, and identifies the Zephyr I and Boceanica as property in which he has an interest. According to Treasury, the captain of the tanker Young Yong falsified its location data while it loaded about 1.8 million barrels.

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