OFAC licence lets GMS scrap four sanctioned Iran-linked boxships

The US Office of Foreign Assets Control has allowed Dubai-based cash buyer GMS to acquire four sanctioned containerships for demolition, Splash247 reports. The ships, Yogi, Timon, Rantanplan and Bigli, are owned by BoCom Leasing and were sanctioned in July 2025 as part of a network of more than 50 vessels that the US linked to Iranian shipping magnate Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani. They have been idle since being taken off hire in August 2025. According to Splash247, OFAC said it would weigh applications for specific ships "on a case-by-case basis", potentially opening an exit route for other sanctioned tonnage.

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