00:00The U.S. has imposed sanctions on 35 individuals and organizations
00:04for their involvement in Iran's shadow banking sector.
00:08The U.S. Treasury Department says these actors enable financial flows
00:12worth tens of billions of dollars worldwide,
00:14with funds linked directly to sanctions evasion activities.
00:19The agency warned international banks against dealing with firms
00:22that make payments to Iran or the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
00:26for passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
00:28It said such transactions could expose financial institutions
00:32to serious sanctions raised by the U.S.
00:35Officials also identified independent Chinese teapot refineries,
00:40particularly in Shandong, for importing and refining large volumes of Iranian oil
00:45despite existing restrictions.
00:47Since February 2025, the Office of Foreign Assets Control
00:51has sanctioned around 1,000 Iran-linked individuals, vessels and aircraft
00:56under its maximum pressure campaign.
00:58These measures have already discouraged several larger independent refiners
01:02from continuing to purchase Iranian oil in recent months.
01:06Data from Kepler shows that China accounted for more than 80%
01:10of Iran's total oil exports throughout 2025.
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