The Trump Administration Targets Indian National for Involvement in Iran’s Shadow Fleet

The Trump administration’s maximum pressure campaign on Iran has now shifted its focus to Jugwinder Singh Brar, an Indian national based in the United Arab Emirates. Brar, who owns the companies Prime Tankers and Glory International, has been targeted by the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) for his alleged involvement in Iran’s shadow fleet.

OFAC has sanctioned Brar, citing his ownership of a fleet of nearly 30 vessels, primarily handysize product tankers, many of which have been identified as operating as part of Iran’s shadow fleet. Additionally, two UAE- and two India-based entities that own and operate Brar’s vessels have also been designated for their role in transporting Iranian oil on behalf of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) and the Iranian military.

Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent stated, “The Iranian regime relies on its network of unscrupulous shippers and brokers like Brar and his companies to enable its oil sales and finance its destabilising activities. The United States remains focused on disrupting all elements of Iran’s oil exports, particularly those who seek to profit from this trade.”

During Trump’s first term, the US withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal and reimposed a full embargo on Iran’s crude oil exports in 2019. This led to a significant decrease in Iran’s crude oil shipments, from 2.5 million barrels per day in the first half of 2018 to 250,000 barrels per day. While sanctions were not as strictly enforced during the Biden administration, Iranian exports gradually recovered. However, with Trump back in power, there has been a renewed focus on imposing sanctions on Iran’s shadow fleet and its ties to groups like the Houthis in Yemen.