Washington: The recent US destruction of five Iranian oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz has unveiled a growing convergence in sanctions-evasion networks between Iran and Russia. This revelation has raised concerns among Ukrainian officials and US sanctions experts, who now urge the West to address this intertwined system as a unified threat rather than separate issues.
According to Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty, three of the tankers-Kaviz, Charminar, and Riesco-were directly linked to Russia's shadow oil fleet. These vessels transported Russian oil, frequently calling at Russian ports, and were involved in ship-to-ship transfers with other sanctioned vessels. Vladyslav Vlasiuk, the Ukrainian President's sanctions commissioner, emphasized that this collaboration illustrates the increasingly overlapping sanctions-evasion networks of Russia and Iran.
Kaviz, for instance, operated between Russian ports such as Ust-Luga and Novorossiysk, often switching off its automatic identification system to avoid detection. This tactic was linked to Fractal Marine DMCC, a network involved in moving Russian oil post-sanctions. Meanwhile, Charminar operated at multiple Russian ports and was connected to a network controlled by Iranian oil businessman Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani.
Riesco, showcasing the dual nature of these operations, carried both Russian and Iranian oil and engaged in ship-to-ship transfers with other sanctioned vessels. All three tankers have been sanctioned by Ukraine and the United States, with additional sanctions from the European Union, Britain, Canada, and Switzerland on Kaviz.
The importance of these vessels, Vlasiuk noted, lies in their role in facilitating Russian oil's access to global markets despite Western restrictions. For Ukraine, targeting this infrastructure is crucial as it is also used for transporting Iranian oil, presenting a shared challenge for sanctions policymakers.
Philip Luck, director of the Economics Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, highlighted the broader implications of these networks. He pointed out that Russia and Iran often sell oil to the same markets, meaning sanctions aimed at one nation's oil trade could inadvertently affect the other due to shared logistics.
The urgency of addressing this issue has intensified as Washington combines economic pressure on Tehran with military action. The US claims the Iranian tankers were part of a network financing Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, with recent strikes following Iranian attacks on US naval forces. This confrontation has further strained energy markets, with both Washington and Tehran vying for influence over the Strait of Hormuz, a critical passage for global oil supplies.
For Kyiv, the tanker strikes underscore the significance of maritime networks as sanctions targets. As long as these networks remain operational, opportunities for sanctions evasion persist, Vlasiuk warned.
In response, the US is contemplating expanding its sanctions capabilities against Russia's energy revenues. The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, recently passed by the Senate, targets Russia's shadow fleet and sanctions-evasion networks. While its future in the House is uncertain, Ukraine views it as a potential leverage against Russia.
During a briefing by the Bipartisan Congressional Ukraine Caucus, Ukraine's Charge d'Affaires in Washington, Denys Sienik, emphasized the bill's potential as a tool rather than a final solution. He highlighted the ongoing challenge of Russia's substantial oil and gas revenues, which continue to fund its military efforts.
Former State Department sanctions coordinator Daniel Fried echoed this sentiment, urging increased US diplomatic efforts to leverage sanctions against Russia. He cited past strategies, such as the Obama administration's Iran policy, where Congress pressured nations buying Iranian oil to reduce imports.
Fried expressed the need for a similar approach with the current bill, providing Washington with negotiation tools rather than imposing automatic maximum penalties. Although questions remain about the bill's implementation, Fried stressed that its passage would offer leverage, whereas failure to pass it would leave no options.
As Washington considers further actions against Moscow, the convergence of Russian and Iranian sanctions networks could become a focal point in international sanctions discussions. The shared use of vessels, managers, and shipping routes in these networks underscores the complexity and interdependence of the global oil trade under sanctions pressure.