Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani is the son of former IRGC commander Ali Shamkhani. File Image / Pixabay

The US has imposed sanctions on more shipping companies and vessels linked to an Iranian shipping network allegedly controlled by Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani.

The latest measures target container shipping firms, cargo vessels and tankers accused of transporting goods to and from Iran while helping the network evade sanctions, the US Department of the Treasury said in a announcement on Tuesday.

The US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated Singapore-based Sea Lead Shipping Pte. Ltd. and its subsidiaries in the UAE, Marshall Islands and India.

OFAC alleged the companies managed container shipping operations that carried both legitimate and illicit cargoes, including shipments linked to the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen.

Several other shipping companies, logistics providers and vessel owners were also sanctioned, including Volta Shipping Services, We Freight Shipping and Sai Wan Shipping, along with companies registered in the Marshall Islands, Hong Kong, St Kitts and Nevis, and the UAE.

Among the vessels identified as blocked property are the container ships Shenton Way, Tanjong Pagar 1 and Paya Lebar, as well as several cargo vessels operating between Iran and Russia in the Caspian Sea.

OFAC also sanctioned the tankers Darika and Virent, alleging they transported Russian petroleum products for the Shamkhani network.

The sanctions block any US-based assets of the designated companies and vessels and generally prohibit US persons from doing business with them.