US widens Iran sanctions, putting India in the crosshairs

The US Department of the Treasury has added four India-based companies and three Indian nationals to its list of sanctioned entities in its ongoing economic battle against Iran. Portease Partners LLP, an India-based customs broker, has been sanctioned for facilitating numerous shipments of Iranian petrochemical products into India.

Two Indian nationals, Indrismiya Ashrafmiya Sheikh and Harish Ramachandra Rangi, have also been sanctioned. Other targets include Sadashiva Overseas Limited, PP Softtech Private Limited, and Prakrutees Infra Impex India Private Limited. Prashant Garg, a director at PP Softtech, was also designated. The sanctions impose significant financial consequences, signalling that any business dealings with Iran, including through intermediaries, importers, brokers, shipping companies, and financial institutions, can now be targeted.

This marks a new dimension in the strained US-India relations, which are already contentious due to disputes over tariffs, Russia, and the Trump administration's transactional approach to New Delhi.