US sanctions Indian couple, firms over links to Iranian oil trade

The US has imposed sanctions on an Indian couple based in Chandigarh and several companies associated with them for providing fraudulent maritime registrations and certifications to vessels transporting Iranian oil, helping the country’s shadow fleet evade international restrictions.

The US Department of the Treasury designated Suniel Kumar Sharma and his wife, Jaspreet Preeti Shahid, accusing them of establishing unauthorised maritime registries and classification societies through websites that falsely claimed to represent countries that had not approved their services.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the department said the couple’s activities dated back to 2014 and involved providing false flag registrations and certifications to vessels carrying Iranian petroleum, including ships linked to Iran’s military and its proxies.

The Treasury said the network operated under the names of several countries, including Guyana, Eswatini and Laos.

It also alleged that a Singapore-based company established by Sharma in 2023 continued offering flagging services despite being publicly disavowed by Eswatini authorities.

The department cited the vessel PING SHUN, which it said had transported Iranian oil in multiple shipments before being sanctioned.

Several India-based companies linked to the couple have also been designated, including Oceaniek Technologies India, Aryavart Ship Management, Precept Trends, Polynesia Maritime, Alexarya Finserv, Alexarya Media and Entertainment, Viharaboating and Aryavart Maritime and Educational Trust.

The measures were imposed under Executive Order 13902, which targets key sectors of Iran’s economy, including petroleum, petrochemicals and aviation.