US Sanctions Indian Couple for Helping Iran Evade Oil Export Restrictions

Washington just moved the goalposts on Tehran’s lifeline. The United States Treasury Department struck hard on Wednesday, sanctioning firms and individuals across India and Turkiye for allegedly helping Iran evade restrictions on oil exports and airline operations. The targets? A "vast criminal network" orchestrated by Suniel Kumar Sharma and his wife, Jaspreet Preeti Shahid, operating out of Chandigarh in northern India.

This isn't just a small-time operation. The Treasury alleges the couple spent years faking ship registries for nations like Guyana, Eswatini, and Laos. They issued bogus flags and certifications. Why? To keep sanctioned tankers rolling. These vessels carried Iranian oil, some even working for the Iranian military and its allied groups. The scheme traces back to at least 2014, relying on websites built to look like official national ship registries. Two other Indian nationals who headed the couple’s businesses joined the list, along with nine entities linked to Sharma.

Across the border, Turkiye-based Fugo Ground Services took a hit too. The company provided ground handling and other services to US-sanctioned Iranian airlines, including Iran Air Tour and Saha Airlines, that still fly into Turkish airspace. The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control issued a sharp warning: shipping companies need to watch out for the sanctions risks of dealing with vessels sailing under false flags.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent made his stance clear. Washington will keep pursuing anyone supporting Tehran. These sanctions freeze any US assets held by the targets and generally bar Americans from doing business with them. It’s part of the Trump administration’s "Operation Economic Outcast," a campaign designed to cut off the oil revenue Iran uses to fund its war effort. The Treasury claims last week’s actions pushed the Iranian rial to new lows and drove inflation to about 90 percent.

Timing matters here. The announcement landed just a day after Democrats seized control of both houses of Congress in the midterm elections.