US sanctions 9 tankers transporting Iranian oil amid crackdown

The sanctions are part of an escalating U.S. pressure campaign on Iran that includes military deployments. The internet shutdown has been described by activists as the longest and most comprehensive in the Islamic Republic’s history. The death toll from the crackdown on nationwide demonstrations has risen to at least 5,032, according to activists.

Targeting Repression Funding

The United States imposed sanctions Friday on nine tankers accused of transporting hundreds of millions of dollars in Iranian oil, linking the action directly to Iran’s internet shutdown and violent crackdown on nationwide protests.

The nine vessels, flagged from Palau, Panama and other jurisdictions, are part of what the Treasury called a “shadow fleet”—a network of older tankers used to evade international sanctions. The U.S. sanctions aim to prevent targeted Iranians from doing business with Americans or accessing U.S. accounts.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the sanctions “target a critical component of how Iran generates the funds used to repress its own people.” The government had blocked internet access on January 8 as nationwide protests challenging Iran’s theocratic government escalated, and the Treasury tied the sanctions directly to the shutdown.

The Longest Blackout in Iran’s History

Activists describe the internet shutdown as the longest and most comprehensive in the Islamic Republic’s history. As the shutdown persists, Iranians and Iranian businesses have struggled with the disruption that began when demonstrations intensified against state control.

The death toll from the crackdown on nationwide demonstrations has risen to at least 5,032, according to activists monitoring the unrest.

Military Pressure and Contested Claims

The sanctions announcement comes as the United States increases military pressure on Iran. President Donald Trump called an approaching American aircraft carrier group an “armada” in comments Thursday aboard Air Force One, saying the U.S. was moving the ships toward Iran “just in case” he wants to take action.

Trump has repeatedly claimed that his threats on Iran have prevented the execution of more than 800 dissidents. Iran’s top prosecutor on Friday rejected the assertion, saying Trump’s claims were “completely false.” Trump has provided no details about the claimed preventions or their basis.

Expanding the Pressure Campaign

The Treasury has issued multiple rounds of sanctions this month against Iranian officials and firms it accuses of helping to repress the nationwide protests. The sanctioned individuals include the secretary of the Supreme Council for National Security, whom the Treasury accuses of being among the first officials to call for violence against protesters.

When asked Thursday whether Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei should be removed from office, Trump declined to answer, saying he would address the question “in the future.”

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