US Confirms It Seized Iranian Oil Allegedly En Route to China
The US government has confirmed that it has seized nearly 1 million barrels of oil from Iran that it says is bound for China.
The Department of Justice confirmed on September 8 that the United States had seized an April shipment of crude oil from the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), a designated foreign terrorist organization.
In confirming the seizure, the department also announced its first criminal resolution regarding the illegal sale and transportation of Iranian oil in violation of U.S. sanctions.
Unsealed court documents showed that in April the United States seized contraband from the Suez Rajan tanker, which was allegedly sold to China by the Revolutionary Guards.
On April 19, the ship's owner, Suez Rajan Limited, pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) by smuggling sanctioned Iranian crude oil. As part of the plea agreement, the company agreed to pay a $2.4 million fine and serve three years' probation.
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