TITLE: United States Office of Foreign Assets Control Adds Individuals, Entities, and Vessels to Sanctions Designations List
BODY:
On May 19, 2026, the United States Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) added multiple individuals, entities, and vessels to its Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) List through counter-terrorism and Iran-related designations.
OFAC designated 14 individuals linked to various organisations including Hamas, the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad, Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, and the Ebrahimi and Associates Partnership Company. The individuals designated under counter-terrorism provisions include Marwan Muhammad Ayish Abu Ras from Gaza, Saif Hashim Kamel Abukishek from Barcelona, and Mohammed Khatib from Belgium. Three individuals—Ali Hazrati Chakherlo, Mahmoud Ebrahimi, and Yousef Ebrahimi—were designated under Iran-related Executive Order 13902 due to their association with the Ebrahimi and Associates Partnership Company, a Tabriz-based entity. Additional individuals designated under counter-terrorism provisions include Sherif Ahmed Ewis Ahmed from Turkey, Muhammad Jamal Hassan Al-Najjar from Turkey, Jaldia Abubakra Aueda from Madrid, Hisham Abu Mahfouz from Amman, and Karim Sayed Ahmed Moghny from Turkey. Samad Nemati from Iran was also designated under Iran-related provisions.
OFAC added 31 entities to the SDN List, including shipping companies, trading firms, and wholesale businesses located across multiple jurisdictions including the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, Panama, the Marshall Islands, and the United Kingdom. These entities are linked to Iran-related sanctions violations. Additionally, OFAC designated 21 vessels, predominantly chemical and oil tankers, LPG tankers, and crude oil tankers flagged under various jurisdictions including Panama, Cook Islands, San Marino, and Vanuatu. These vessels are connected to the designated shipping entities and are subject to Iran-related sanctions designations. The designations impose asset freezes and transaction prohibitions on all listed individuals, entities, and vessels.
REFERENCES:
Office of Foreign Assets Control. "Counter Terrorism Designations; Iran-related Designations." U.S. Department of the Treasury. May 19, 2026. https://ofac.treasury.gov/recent-actions/20260519