Trump government targets India after losing election, bans nine companies

New Delhi: Following a crushing defeat in the midterm elections, US President Donald Trump has once again tightened his grip on India. The US has imposed sanctions on an Indian businessman, his wife, and nine Indian companies accused of helping Iran evade international sanctions on its oil trade. According to the US Treasury Department, this entire network was helping Iran continue its trade in banned oil through maritime fraud. The ministry has described it as a major criminal network.

The US Treasury Department has named Indian businessman Sunil Kumar Sharma and his wife Jaspreet Preeti Shahid as the alleged operators of this network. It alleges they created fraudulent maritime registration and flag certificates for ships, allowing ships carrying Iranian oil to continue operating despite international sanctions. The US administration took this action under the Donald Trump-led government's campaign, Operation Economic Outcast, which aims to block Iran's revenue from oil sales and other economic activities.

The alleged network was operating from Chandigarh, where fake websites were created in the name of other countries.
According to the US Treasury Department, Sunil Kumar Sharma and his wife operated this network from Chandigarh. It is alleged that they created fake maritime registries by misusing the identities of maritime administrative officials from several countries.

According to a report by the AFP news agency, this network involved creating websites that claimed to offer services such as ship registration, maritime flagging, training of sailors, and ship classification on behalf of various countries. However, the respective countries had not granted any permission for these services. The alleged fraud dates back to 2014. At that time, the couple tried to pose as the maritime flag authority of the Caribbean country of Dominica.

Subsequently, in 2023, Sharma established a company in Singapore called "Eswatini Maritime Affairs and International Ship Registry Pte Ltd." According to the US Treasury Department, Eswatini officials publicly denied their connection to this organization. Despite this, the organization allegedly continued to provide registration services to ships carrying Iranian oil.

Fake maritime registries were also operating in the names of these countries

The US Treasury Department has identified several websites claiming to offer maritime registration services in the name of various countries and territories. These include:

• Aruba
• Guyana
• gardener
• Mozambique
• Malawi
• Sint Maarten
• Timor-Leste

The US alleges that these fake registries were used by numerous sanctioned vessels to transport Iranian oil, thus evading international sanctions and maritime regulations.

US action on nine Indian companies

The US Treasury Department has also placed nine India-based companies and entities linked to this network under sanctions. These include:

1. Oceanic Technologies India
2. Aryavart Ship Management
3. Precept Trends
4. Polynesia Maritime
5. Alexarya Finserv
6. Alexarya Media & Entertainment
7. Sightseeingboating
8. Aryavart Maritime and Educational Trust

The US Treasury Department also named Indian nationals Ashwani Kumar Dhiman and Ishvinder Singh, who served as directors in companies linked to Sharma's network, according to the department. The ministry said Oceanic Technologies India was used to create fake ship registries. Meanwhile, as Sunil Sharma came under increasing scrutiny, his wife, Shahid, took over management of several companies linked to the network.

US warns of action against those helping Iran

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said that sanctions against individuals and organizations that support Iran will continue. In a post on the social media platform X, he said the administration will continue to target those who aid the Iranian regime by land, sea, or air. He warned that those supporting Tehran's activities should not expect to escape US action. "As we have said many times, under Operation Economic Outcast, you are either with us or against us," Bessant said.

What is the threat to countries from fake registration?

The US Treasury Department has warned that ships with fraudulent maritime registrations can evade international sanctions and maritime regulations. This not only complicates sanctions enforcement but also poses security and economic risks. According to the ministry, ships operating under false flags may not have valid Protection and Indemnity (P&I) insurance. Therefore, if a ship is involved in an accident in other countries' territorial waters, the countries involved could face financial losses and environmental liabilities.

Earlier on Wednesday, the US also imposed sanctions on the Turkish company Fuego Ground Services Inc., which is accused of continuously supporting Iran's banned aviation sector. This action is part of a broader US strategy to limit Iran's oil revenues and economic network amid the ongoing conflict with Iran.

Trump suffers crushing defeat in US election

In a major blow to US President Donald Trump, the country's voters handed control of the US Parliament to the opposition Democratic Party in the much-talked-about midterm elections held on Tuesday and also gave the party victory in the gubernatorial posts in several key states. The impact of these results will be felt not only in the US but also globally. Trump's Republican Party suffered a crushing defeat in states considered strongholds like Texas, Georgia, Iowa, and Ohio, where it lost governorships to the Democratic Party.