MEHDI GROUP
MEHDI GROUP is an Iranian entity identified by OFAC as linked to the crude tanker RISE GLORY and designated under the SDGT counter-terrorism programme on 28 May 2026.
Last refreshed: 1 June 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Why did OFAC designate MEHDI GROUP alongside the RISE GLORY tanker on 28 May 2026?
Timeline for MEHDI GROUP
identified by OFAC as linked to RISE GLORY crude tanker in the 28 May designation
European Oil Markets: OFAC lists RISE GLORY and Ivan Sechin- What is MEHDI GROUP and why was it sanctioned by OFAC?
- MEHDI GROUP is an Iranian entity designated by OFAC on 28 May 2026 under its SDGT counter-terrorism programme for its link to the Iran crude tanker RISE GLORY. OFAC designated both the operator and the hull simultaneously to prevent the group from simply re-flagging the vessel and continuing operations.Source: Lowdown european-oil-markets briefing
- What is the difference between SDGT sanctions and standard Iran sanctions?
- SDGT designations (under EO13224) are counter-terrorism sanctions that apply the maximum secondary-sanctions exposure: non-US persons who knowingly facilitate transactions with an SDGT-designated entity risk losing access to the US financial system. Standard Iran nuclear sanctions (ITSR) carry secondary-sanctions risk primarily for dealings in the energy sector or involving the IRGC.Source: Lowdown european-oil-markets briefing
Background
MEHDI GROUP is an Iranian entity designated by OFAC on 28 May 2026 under the Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) programme and Executive Order 13224, the US counter-terrorism sanctions authority. The designation cites its operational link to the RISE GLORY crude oil tanker (also known as SOLAN, IMO 9155808), which was listed in the same OFAC action. OFAC's use of counter-terrorism authority against a shipping operator, rather than the standard Iran sanctions track, signals that the Treasury assessed MEHDI GROUP's activities as connected to Iran's IRGC or Qods Force-linked revenue streams.
The SDGT designation of MEHDI GROUP makes any non-US person who knowingly does business with it subject to secondary sanctions, not only primary (US-person) sanctions. This means European, Asian, and Middle Eastern shipping intermediaries face real legal exposure when interacting with any vessel or freight arrangement linked to the group, closing off the mainstream commercial shipping market to MEHDI GROUP-connected operations.
Little public information is available about MEHDI GROUP's corporate structure, ownership, or the full extent of its fleet relationships beyond OFAC's designation documentation. The group represents the type of opaque Iranian shipping intermediary that maintains Iran's crude export logistics by insulating formal ownership from direct OFAC designation, necessitating the hull-by-hull and operator-level approach OFAC has pursued since 2023.
