STRAIT OF HORMUZ — TankerTrackers.com reported that a Comoros-flagged vessel named the Arista has been stuck in the same spot in the Strait of Hormuz since March. The outlet identified the ship as part of an operation managed by Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani.

The United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom have imposed sanctions on Shamkhani. The US Treasury stated that the Shamkhani network uses front companies to buy Iranian and Russian oil, falsifies shipping documents, and frequently switches oil between vessels.

The European Commission stated that Shamkhani uses the company Milavous Group Ltd to blend crude oil with various petroleum products from Russia. The Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project reported that Shamkhani and his brother used aliases and Caribbean passports to amass a $29 million property portfolio in Dubai.

Shamkhani is the son of Ali Shamkhani, who served as the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council for a decade until 2023. The US Treasury announced additional sanctions on the network in April.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said, "Treasury is moving aggressively with Economic Fury by targeting regime elites like the Shamkhani family that attempt to profit at the expense of the Iranian people." The UK government announced sanctions against Shamkhani in August of the previous year.

Minister for the Middle East Hamish Falconer said, "The UK is announcing sanctions against those who operate on behalf of Iran, fuelling its attempts to undermine stability in the Middle East and global security."