In a fresh move to tighten the screws on global enforcement of its sanctions regime, the United States has imposed penalties on Chinese energy firm Guangsha Zhoushan Energy Group, accusing it of engaging in unauthorized crude oil transactions with Iran.
According to a statement released Thursday by the U.S. Department of State, the sanctions target Guangsha Zhoushan’s terminal located on Huangzeshan Island in Zhoushan, eastern China. U.S. officials claim the facility knowingly received and processed Iranian crude oil, in direct violation of existing U.S. sanctions aimed at restricting Iran’s oil exports.
The center of the controversy is a tanker named Snow, which the U.S. previously designated due to its links to the National Iranian Tanker Company, a blacklisted entity under U.S. law. In August 2021, the Snow reportedly discharged approximately 2 million barrels of Iranian crude oil at the Guangsha-operated terminal — a transaction now cited as grounds for the new sanctions.
“This terminal knowingly engaged in a significant transaction for the acquisition of Iranian oil,” the State Department said, underlining the U.S.’s commitment to continue pursuing enforcement against those circumventing international sanctions.
The action underscores Washington’s ongoing efforts to isolate Iran’s energy sector and deter third-party countries and companies from facilitating what it views as illicit petroleum trade. The move is also likely to add further tension to already complex U.S.-China relations, particularly in the geopolitical and energy arenas.
SOURCE: Oilspot Suriname