WASHINGTON: The Biden administration will impose sanctions on prominent Turkish businessman Sitki Ayan and his business network on Thursday, accusing him of acting as an oil broker and embezzling money in the name of Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.
According to a Treasury statement that will be released later Thursday and seen by Reuters, Ayan’s company established an international market agreement for Iranian oil, arranged shipments and helped to clean products and covered the source of Iranian oil in the name of Iranian Quds Force, a branch of the IRGC.
“Ayan established commercial contracts to sell Iranian oil worth hundreds of millions of dollars to buyers” in China, the United Arab Emirates and Europe, the statement said, adding that it returned the profits to the Quds Force.
US alleged Turkish businessman of having links with Iran’s Quds Force
Ayan’s son Bahaddin Ayan, his business partner Kasim Oztas and one other person, as well as at least 12 companies, including ASB Group of Companies, a Gibraltar holding company, will also be named. The Treasury action will freeze all U.S. assets of those named and prevent Americans from doing business with turkish.
Certain businesses will also be subject to penalties. The U.S. move comes at a time when U.S.-Turkey relations have strained on a number of issues, including disagreements over Syria’s policy and Ankara’s purchase of Russian air defense systems.
