The United States has imposed fresh sanctions targeting an oil smuggling network accused of disguising Iranian oil as Iraqi and a financial institution linked to Lebanon’s Hezbollah, the Treasury Department announced on Thursday.

The sanctions focus on a network led by Salim Ahmed Said, an Iraqi-British businessman. According to US officials, Said’s companies have been blending Iranian oil with Iraqi crude since 2020 and selling it to Western buyers using forged documents. The oil was allegedly shipped through Iraq and the United Arab Emirates, bypassing international sanctions.

The Treasury also said that Said controls the UAE-based VS Tankers, formerly known as Al-Iraqia Shipping Services & Oil Trading (AISSOT), which it accused of aiding Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, designated by the US as a terrorist group. VS Tankers denied the allegations and said it would seek legal recourse.

The move follows US military strikes on June 22 against three Iranian nuclear sites, which the Pentagon claims have delayed Tehran’s nuclear programme by up to two years. Washington continues to pressure Iran economically over its nuclear ambitions and its support for militant groups across the Middle East.

Separately, the Treasury imposed sanctions on several senior officials and an entity linked to Al-Qard Al-Hassan, a Hezbollah-controlled financial institution.

The sanctions freeze US assets of those named and ban Americans from conducting business with them.

Iranian officials did not immediately respond to the latest measures.

Talks between the US and Iran on Tehran’s nuclear programme are reportedly planned for next week in Oslo.