By Vincent Wen    Photo：CANVA

According to the explanation provided by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the United States Department of the Treasury, Oceanlink is accused of facilitating the transportation of unspecified Iranian commodities on behalf of the Iranian Armed Forces General Staff (AFGS) and the Iranian Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL).

Specifically, the VLCC "Hecate," managed by Oceanlink, was involved in loading over $100 million worth of Iranian crude oil from the VLCC "Dover," operated by the National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC), via ship-to-ship transfer on March 25, utilizing techniques to obscure the vessel's location.

In addition to the "Hecate," the other 12 vessels managed by Oceanlink, including VLCCs, product tankers, and liquefied petroleum gas carriers, have also been confirmed by OFAC to be deeply engaged in the transportation activities of Iranian commodities, representing operations conducted on behalf of the Iranian military.

Brian Nelson, the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence at the United States Department of the Treasury, emphasized the commitment of the United States to weaken Iran's ability to provide funds for its terrorist proxies, partner organizations, and support for conflicts such as the Russo-Ukrainian War.

The sanctions serve as a robust response to Iran's illicit activities, aimed at preserving global financial order and regional stability.

OFAC recently updated its sanctions list, including the controversial Young Yong VLCC tanker. This tanker, involved in a grounding incident near vital natural gas pipelines supplying Singapore in October 2022, was subsequently renamed "Saint Light" to conceal its true identity. OFAC noted that this 306,300 deadweight tonnage tanker, flying the flag of Barbados, also operated under the name Stellar Oracle and was accused of transferring over $100 million worth of Iranian crude oil between Hawk vessels operated by NITC.

As a result, this tanker was sanctioned on March 27. It's noteworthy that on March 22, the Hawk vessel also loaded the same cargo from another sanctioned VLCC Kohana.

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