Agencies | Washington:
The United States has imposed sanctions on four India-based companies and three Indian nationals over their alleged involvement in transactions involving Iranian petroleum and petrochemical products, as Washington intensifies economic pressure on Tehran under its newly announced “Operation Economic Outcast” campaign.
The four companies named by the US State Department are Portease Partners LLP, Sadashiva Overseas Ltd, PP Softtech Pvt Ltd and Prakrutees Infra Impex India Pvt Ltd.
The three Indian nationals designated by Washington are Indrismiya Ashrafmiya Shekh and Harish Ramchandra Rangi, associated with Portease Partners, and Prashant Garg of PP Softtech.
The measures form part of a broader US action against nearly 60 entities, individuals and vessels that Washington alleges are connected to Iran’s military activities, procurement networks and petroleum and petrochemical trade.
According to the US State Department, Portease Partners, described as an India-based customs broker, facilitated multiple shipments of Iranian petrochemical products to India.
Washington alleged that Sadashiva Overseas imported approximately $69 million worth of Iranian-origin petroleum products between February 2024 and June 2025.
The US further accused PP Softtech of importing around $25 million worth of Iranian-origin petroleum products between January 2024 and June 2025.
Similarly, Prakrutees Infra Impex India was accused of importing Iranian petroleum products valued at approximately $25 million between May 2023 and February 2026.
The State Department said the companies were designated under Executive Order 13846, which provides for sanctions against persons knowingly involved in significant transactions relating to Iranian petroleum or petrochemical products.
The designations represent US allegations and sanctions determinations; they do not, by themselves, establish criminal liability under Indian law.
The latest action is part of Washington’s broader effort to restrict Iranian revenue sources that the US says support Tehran’s military and regional activities.
The State Department said the measures are intended to restrict revenue that the Iranian government allegedly uses to support attacks against neighbouring countries and activities that Washington describes as terrorism.
The United States has increasingly focused on Iran’s petroleum sector, targeting not only producers and traders but also shipping companies, vessels, brokers and other intermediaries involved in transporting Iranian crude, petroleum products and petrochemicals.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced the latest campaign under the name “Operation Economic Outcast”, describing it as an effort to weaken Iran’s financial connections around the world.
“Our goal is to sever every economic lifeline that sustains this tyrannical regime,” Bessent said.
Washington has also warned governments, companies and financial institutions internationally about potential consequences for conducting transactions with sanctioned Iranian entities.
The inclusion of India-based companies highlights the growing reach of Washington’s secondary sanctions policy, under which foreign businesses can face US restrictions for engaging in certain transactions with sanctioned Iranian sectors or entities.
The measures could have implications for companies involved in international petroleum trading, shipping, customs services and financial transactions linked to Iran.
For Indian businesses, the latest designations underline the potential risks associated with dealings involving Iranian petroleum and petrochemical products, particularly where transactions fall within the scope of US sanctions.
The US action comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran and reflects the Trump administration’s broader strategy of using financial and trade restrictions to put pressure on Iran and limit its access to international revenue networks.
