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3. U.S. to Sanction Iran’s Shadow Fleet as Details of Protest Crackdown Surface

On Friday, the U.S. announced that it had imposed sanctions on nine vessels and eight entities that are part of Iran’s shadow fleet, according to a press statement from State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott.

The imposition of sanctions on Iranian shadow fleet vessels is a move of U.S. escalation against the Iranian regime, enacting economic pressure through further limiting Iran’s capability to export oil and natural gas to international markets. 

The intended goal of these sanctions as outlined in Pigott’s statement is to “deny the Iranian regime the resources to oppress its people” due to energy exports “helping finance the regime and its security forces.” 

Pigott added that this development is in line with the National Security Presidential Memorandum 2, which seeks to maintain a campaign of maximum pressure against the Iranian regime.

The cargo contained by the shadow fleet is worth hundreds of millions, according to the U.S. Treasury. The department said in a press release that it will continue to track money that Iranian officials are transferring to international banks.

However, enforcement of sanctions against shadow fleet vessels entails complex maneuvering with other countries, as many of the ships are owned by foreign firms and registered within other countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Panama. As a result, targeting the Iranian shadow fleet relies upon de-facto secondary sanctions on other countries as the U.S. aims to target Iran.

Response to Brutal Crackdowns on Protesters

The Trump administration seeks to put pressure on Iran over its killing of demonstrators as details of the aftermath of the Iranian regime’s crackdowns come to light. While reports still vary, estimates of the death toll range from at least 3,100 according to the Iranian government to over 20,000 deaths as a UN special rapporteur has estimated. 

At the height of the demonstrations on January 14, Trump posted on Truth Social encouraging Iranians to keep protesting and that “help is on its way,” suggesting the possibility of direct U.S. intervention in Iran to tip the balance. While military intervention did not pan out, the new set of sanctions reveals other coercive policies that the U.S. can enact in the name of the Iranian protesters. 

The official U.S. posturing regarding Iran has seen large shifts over the course of the week. On Thursday, President Donald Trump expressed openness to exchange in dialogue with Iran during remarks at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. A day earlier, in light of U.S. intelligence uncovering alleged Iranian assassination plots against Trump and other officials, Trump threatened a response of overwhelming force on Iran if it were to be carried out.