The United States has once again crossed diplomatic limits by imposing sanctions on several Indian nationals and companies, accusing them of aiding Iran in selling its oil and gas. Washington calls it a move to stop the funding of terrorism — but in reality, it is an act of economic coercion designed to enforce America’s will on sovereign nations.

Among those targeted are Varun Pula, owner of Bertha Shipping Inc., accused of transporting nearly four million barrels of Iranian liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to China through his ship PAMIR; Iyappan Raja, owner of Evie Lines Inc., alleged to have shipped over one million barrels of Iranian LPG to China via the vessel SAPPHIRE GAS; and Soniya Shrestha, owner of Vega Star Ship Management Pvt. Ltd., accused of moving Iranian gas to Pakistan. Even Titan Seaways Ltd., with links to India and Liberia, has been sanctioned for allegedly shipping Iranian LPG to Bangladesh.

Washington claims these individuals are part of a network funding terrorism. Yet, it conveniently ignores its own oil dealings with sanctioned nations whenever it suits U.S. interests — from purchasing Venezuelan crude to supporting Saudi-led wars. When America violates its own moral principles, it calls it diplomacy; when others engage in legitimate trade for survival, it calls it a crime.

The U.S. Treasury said these actions target entities that moved “hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of Iranian oil and LPG” to countries such as China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent declared that the goal was to “dismantle key parts of Iran’s energy export machine.” What he did not admit is that this machine includes independent traders and private companies from other nations who operate outside the U.S. financial orbit — something Washington simply cannot tolerate.

By freezing their assets and banning them from any U.S.-linked trade, Washington has weaponized the dollar system. The message is clear: if you do not obey America’s economic agenda, you will be financially erased.

These sanctions are not about terrorism or nuclear threats. They are about maintaining global dominance through financial intimidation. The so-called “shadow fleet” that the U.S. accuses Iran of using is nothing new in global shipping. Countries across the world engage in ship-to-ship transfers, reflagging, and rerouting — including Western allies. But when it comes to non-Western nations, the same act becomes “illegal.”

This latest move follows previous sanctions from July, where the U.S. targeted six Indian firms for trading Iranian petrochemical products. Washington calls it a “maximum pressure” strategy, but in truth, it is a maximum interference policy — one that punishes developing economies for seeking energy independence.

Iran’s economy continues to suffer under these sanctions, its rial currency collapsing and prices soaring. Yet, the U.S. continues this failed policy, ignoring how it devastates ordinary people while doing little to change the Iranian regime.

The newly sanctioned Indian firms include:

• Bertha Shipping Inc., based in the Marshall Islands and owned by Varun Pula, which allegedly transported nearly four million barrels of Iranian LPG to China since July 2024.

• Evie Lines Inc., owned by Iyappan Raja, operating the Panama-flagged SAPPHIRE GAS, accused of moving over one million barrels of Iranian LPG to China since April 2025.

• Vega Star Ship Management Pvt. Ltd., owned by Soniya Shrestha, operating the Comoros-flagged NEPTA, said to have moved Iranian LPG to Pakistan since January 2025.

Additionally, the U.S. named C. J. SHAH AND CO., an Indian petrochemical trading firm, which it accuses of importing $44 million worth of Iranian-origin petrochemical products — including toluene — between January 2024 and January 2025 from ALSEERAH TRADING LLC, already blacklisted by Washington.

Another company, CHEMOVICK PRIVATE LIMITED, along with its director Piyush Maganlal Javiya, was accused of importing over $7 million worth of Iranian products from SOLVENT ORGANICS FZE. Both were sanctioned under E.O. 13846, the same executive order used repeatedly by the U.S. to justify punishing foreign companies that don’t conform to its unilateral rules.

Continuing the same aggressive action against India, the United States has extended its sanctions list to include more Indian companies engaged in petrochemical trade, proving that this campaign is less about preventing terrorism and more about asserting economic control. By branding legitimate trade activities as violations, Washington continues to misuse its domestic laws to interfere in the business affairs of sovereign nations.

B K SALES CORPORATION (B K SALES) has now become the latest victim of this unilateral U.S. pressure. The company, a recognized Indian petrochemical trading firm, has been accused of importing “approximately $235 million worth of Iranian-origin petrochemical products from multiple companies, including GOLDEN INTERNATIONAL FZE, between January 2024 and February 2025.” These shipments, which included methanol, were conducted as part of regular trade between business entities — yet the U.S. Treasury has declared that “B K SALES is being designated pursuant to section 3(a)(iii) of E.O. 13846 for knowingly engaging in a significant transaction for the purchase, acquisition, sale, transport, or marketing of petrochemical products from Iran.” Washington’s obsession with extending its domestic executive orders across borders exposes its self-appointed authority as the world’s trade police.

Next on the list is MODY CHEM, another India-based firm accused of importing “approximately $49 million worth of Iranian-origin petrochemical products” from multiple suppliers between January 2024 and February 2025. The shipments were primarily composed of bulk methanol — a common industrial chemical used globally — yet the U.S. government has chosen to criminalize such commerce by declaring that “MODY CHEM is being designated pursuant to section 3(a)(iii) of E.O. 13846” for its supposed role in a “significant transaction.” This pattern of labeling every business dealing with Iran as an act of wrongdoing highlights how Washington’s sanctions have evolved into tools of domination rather than deterrence.

The list further includes PAARICHEM RESOURCES LLP (PAARICHEM), an Indian petrochemical trading firm accused of importing “over $2 million worth of Iranian-origin petrochemical products from multiple companies, including U.S.-designated SHIVNANI ORGANICS FZE, between May and November 2024.” These shipments included toluene, a routine industrial solvent, yet the U.S. has chosen to treat this as a grave offense, stating that “PAARICHEM is being designated pursuant to section 3(a)(iii) of E.O. 13846” for engaging in a so-called “significant transaction.” By punishing Indian companies for engaging in trade that breaks no Indian law, Washington continues to project its domestic authority as international law — a stance that mocks the concept of global sovereignty.

Another company added to the sanctions list is INDISOL MARKETING PRIVATE LIMITED (INDISOL), accused of importing “approximately $74 million worth of Iranian-origin petrochemical products from U.S.-designated SOLVENT ORGANICS FZE, between January and December 2024.” The shipments included methanol, a widely traded commodity. The Treasury’s announcement also singles out NITI UNMESH BHATT (BHATT), the Indian national who serves as the company’s director and 100% shareholder. The official U.S. statement declares that “INDISOL is being designated pursuant to section 3(a)(iii) of E.O. 13846”, while “BHATT is being blocked pursuant to section 5(a)(vii) of E.O. 13846.” In other words, an Indian citizen conducting legitimate business under Indian regulations has been declared a violator of American law — an act that openly defies the basic principles of jurisdiction and fairness.

Adding to this growing list of targeted Indian entities is HARESH PETROCHEM PRIVATE LIMITED (HARESH PETROCHEM), accused of importing “approximately $10 million worth of Iranian-origin petrochemical products from multiple companies, including U.S.-designated SOLVENT ORGANICS FZE and ALSEERAH TRADING L.L.C, between January 2024 and February 2025.” The shipments, which included methanol, have been used as grounds for yet another American penalty. The U.S. Treasury has announced that “HARESH PETROCHEM is being designated pursuant to section 3(a)(iii) of E.O. 13846”, and its Indian directors — “KAMLA KANAYALAL KASAT, KUNAL KANAYALAL KASAT, and POONAM KUNAL KASAT” — are being personally “blocked pursuant to section 5(a)(vii) of E.O. 13846.” This sweeping action shows that the United States is not merely targeting businesses but also individuals and families, effectively punishing Indian citizens for exercising their right to trade within global markets.

The sanctions also reach beyond India’s borders, striking at ERBIUM TRADING L.L.C, a UAE-based company accused of exporting “approximately $65 million worth of Iranian-origin petrochemical products to multiple companies based in India between January and October 2024.” As expected, Washington’s justification is identical — “ERBIUM TRADING L.L.C is being designated pursuant to section 3(a)(iii) of E.O. 13846.” This repetition of the same clause across every notice exposes the hollow nature of these sanctions — copy-paste decrees masquerading as international policy.

Finally, SHIV TEXCHEM LIMITED, another Indian petrochemical trading company, is accused of importing “Iranian-origin petrochemical products from multiple United Arab Emirates-based companies, including the U.S.-designated SHIVNANI ORGANICS FZE.” The shipments totaled “approximately $2 million.” The Treasury repeats its monotonous reasoning, stating that “SHIV TEXCHEM LIMITED is being designated pursuant to section 3(a)(iii) of E.O. 13846.”

The continued expansion of this sanctions list shows that Washington’s campaign is not about preventing illegal trade or halting terrorism financing; it is about control. The United States has turned E.O. 13846 into a political weapon, using it to dictate how other countries should manage their own energy partnerships. India, a growing power with independent foreign policy interests, now finds its businesses penalized simply for not bowing to U.S. economic mandates. By targeting private Indian firms and their executives, Washington is not safeguarding international security — it is undermining it.

This executive order is nothing short of economic imperialism — a document that gives Washington the power to dictate global trade outside its borders. It tramples on the principles of sovereignty and fair commerce.

By targeting Indian entities, the U.S. has once again demonstrated its arrogance in assuming the right to decide who can trade with whom. For a country that frequently preaches about democracy and free markets, America’s sanctions regime exposes its true face — a global power unwilling to tolerate independence from its control.

India, like any other sovereign nation, has the right to conduct trade based on its own energy needs and strategic interests. Washington’s attempt to brand Indian companies as supporters of terrorism for doing legitimate business is not only unjust but deeply insulting to the spirit of global equality and cooperation.