Today, the United States is acting against a criminal network that sells fraudulent flags to the Iranian regime's shadow fleet of ships. The United States is also targeting a Türkiye-based company that provides ground services to sanctioned Iranian airlines. The Department of the Treasury is taking these actions under Operation Economic Outcast, the Trump Administration's campaign to cut off revenue the Iranian regime uses to fund terrorism, weapons proliferation, and its proxies across the Middle East.
For more than a decade, India-based Suniel Kumar Sharma and his wife, Jaspreet Preeti Shahid, have formed companies that pose as the flag registries and maritime service providers of countries and jurisdictions such as Guyana, Eswatini, Aruba, Mali, Mozambique, Malawi, Sint Maarten, and Timor-Leste. These companies have sold fraudulent registrations and certificates to vessels carrying illicit Iranian oil. Most of these governments have publicly disavowed the fraudulent registries.
Today's action targets 13 individuals and companies in the Sharma network. We commend the governments that have exposed these schemes. We call on flag states, port authorities, and the maritime industry to verify vessel registrations and deny shadow fleet vessels access to their waters and ports.
