The U.S. has gone to court in an attempt to seize 2 million barrels of oil that it claims came from Iran, as Joe Biden’s administration shows little sign of taking a softer line on Tehran.
The Department of Justice filed a case in a U.S. district court, seeking to seize the cargo on the Greek-owned Achilleas tanker, according to a statement on Tuesday. The U.S. alleges that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the IRGC-Qods Force covertly shipped the oil abroad.
They “attempted to disguise the origin of the oil using ship-to-ship transfers, falsified documents, and other means, and provided a fraudulent bill of lading to deceive the owners of the Achilleas,” the department said.
While President Biden has signaled he wants to reengage with Iran, his Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last week the Islamic Republic must first rein in its nuclear activities. Biden’s predecessor, Donald Trump, tightened sanctions on Iran in an effort to halt its oil sales, reduce its nuclear program and stop interfering in other Middle Eastern countries.
