U.S. Sanctions Greek Ship Owner

The U.S. says NITC used the ships to transport Iranian oil

The U.S. State and Treasury Departments have said in respective statements that sanctions have been imposed on Impire Shipping and its president, Dimitris Cambis, for disguising Iranian crude oil.

The State Department said the Greek businessman and his company concealed the control of a vessel by the National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC).

Western officials recently shared information with Reuters that appeared to show that Cambis bought eight old ships that might otherwise have been scrapped and that the ships were used to ship Iranian oil.

Cambis said at the time that he was not involved with NITC or other Iranian interests.

The State Department also imposed sanctions on Kish Protection and Indemnity Club (Kish P&I) and Bimeh Markazi-Central Insurance of Iran (CII) for providing insurance or reinsurance to NITC, and it imposed a visa ban on Cambis and on corporate officers of Kish P&I and CII.

The Department of the Treasury sanctions forbid U.S. persons from doing business with Cambis and entities he controls, and blocks any assets they have under U.S. jurisdiction.

"U.S. law prohibits knowingly owning or controlling a vessel that operates in a manner that conceals the Iranian origin of crude oil by obscuring or concealing the ownership, operation, or control of the vessel by NITC," the State Department said.

"These sanctions make clear the risks involved in working on behalf of certain Iranian entities, and will further hamper Iran's ability to circumvent sanctions.

"[A]ny business that continues to support Iran's energy sector, enable the movement of its oil tankers or facilitate Iran's efforts to evade U.S. sanctions could face serious consequences."