Now, the United States is cracking down on criminal networks selling fraudulent flags to the Iranian regime’s shadow fleet. The United States has also targeted a Turkey-based company that provides ground services to sanctioned Iranian airlines. The Treasury Department is taking these actions under Operation Economic Exile, the Trump administration’s campaign to cut off revenue used by the Iranian regime to fund terrorism, weapons proliferation and its proxies in the Middle East.
For more than a decade, India’s Suniel Kumar Sharma and his wife Jaspreet Preeti Shahid set up companies posing as flag registries and maritime service providers in countries and jurisdictions such as Guyana, Swaziland, Aruba, Mali, Mozambique, Malawi, St. Maarten and East Timor. These companies sold fraudulent registrations and certificates to vessels carrying illicit Iranian oil. Most governments have publicly denied that registration agencies engaged in fraud.
Today’s action targeted 13 individuals and companies in Sharma’s network. We applaud the governments that exposed these plans. We call on flag states, port authorities and maritime industries to verify ship registrations and deny access to their waters and ports to Shadow Fleet vessels.