A recent report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration revealed that Iran made $144 billion in illegal oil sales in the first three years of the Biden administration.
In 2021, Iran made $37 billion, up from the $16 billion made in 2020. In 2022, Iran made $54 billion, followed by $53 billion in 2023.
The report explained that the numbers are merely estimates as “Iran uses several obfuscation techniques such as turning off its ship identification signals, applying ship-to-ship transfers, or relabeling cargoes as originating from other countries for both crude oil and oil products, which increases the challenge of providing precise export data.”
According to the Washington Free Beacon, Iran has exported more than $34 billion in oil this year.
Claire Jungman, director of United Against a Nuclear Iran’s (UANI) Tanker Tracking Program, told the outlet that the estimates should serve as a “catalyst for the administration to enforce sanctions more aggressively on vessels transporting Iranian oil.”
“The illicit activity detailed in the report underscores the need for firm action to hold these vessels accountable and ensure that sanctions are effectively implemented to curtail Iran’s ability to export oil in violation of U.S. sanctions,” she added.
Earlier this month, Secretary of State Antony Blinken imposed sanctions on “six entities engaged in Iranian petroleum trade” and “identified six vessels as blocked property.”
“Additionally, Treasury is sanctioning ten entities and identifying 17 vessels as blocked property for their involvement in shipments of Iranian petroleum and petrochemical products in support of U.S.-designated entities National Iranian Oil Company or Triliance Petrochemical Co. Limited,” Blinken said.
