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Shamkhani network
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Shamkhani network

Iranian sanctions-evasion network designated by OFAC on 15 April 2026; named five Indian nationals and eight India-registered firms.

Last refreshed: 24 April 2026

Key Question

Can India stay silent on the Shamkhani designations while its firms sit on OFAC's list?

Timeline for Shamkhani network

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Common Questions
What is the Shamkhani network and why was it sanctioned?
The Shamkhani network is an Iranian sanctions-evasion apparatus designated by OFAC on 15 April 2026 for procuring materials for Iran's Ballistic missile programme. It is named after Ali Shamkhani, former secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council.Source: https://ofac.treasury.gov/recent-actions/20260415
Why did OFAC sanction Indian nationals in the Shamkhani network?
The Shamkhani network designation named five Indian nationals and eight India-registered firms involved in procuring missile programme materials for Iran, complicating India's already strained relationship with US Iran sanctions as the Chabahar waiver also lapsed.Source: https://ofac.treasury.gov/recent-actions/20260415
Who is Ali Shamkhani and why is a network named after him?
Ali Shamkhani is the former secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, previously sanctioned by the US. The network bears his name because of his documented role in organising Iran's international procurement and sanctions evasion operations.Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ali_Shamkhani

Background

The Shamkhani network is an Iranian sanctions-evasion apparatus designated by OFAC on 15 April 2026 in the fourth nonproliferation round of the Iran war. The designation named 13 individuals and entities involved in procuring materials for Iran's Ballistic missile programme, including five Indian nationals and eight India-registered firms. The network is named after Ali Shamkhani, the former secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, who has previously been sanctioned by the US.

The designation is directly relevant to India's triple-exposure crisis converging in late April 2026. India's Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri's office has held public silence for nine days on the Shamkhani designations, refusing to comment on the five Indian nationals and eight firms on the OFAC list. At the same time, India's Chabahar port sanctions waiver lapses on 26 April, and the IRGC seized the tanker Epaminondas on 22 April carrying cargo bound for India's Mundra port.

The Shamkhani network's Indian component illustrates the challenge of secondary sanctions in a multipolar world: India-registered firms operate through nominally legitimate commercial structures that make enforcement depend on Delhi's willingness to act, which the Modi government has strategically avoided committing to publicly.