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US targets Chinese refinery in sweeping Iran oil crackdown, sanctions ‘shadow fleet’ tankers
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The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on Friday sanctioned a major Chinese oil refinery and dozens of ships tied to Iran’s «shadow fleet,» escalating efforts to choke off Tehran’s main source of revenue.
Officials said in a press release the move targets Hengli Petrochemical, one of Iran’s largest oil buyers, along with a network of shipping companies and tankers responsible for transporting billions of dollars worth of petroleum products to foreign markets.
The Treasury Department identified these «shadow fleet» vessels as the financial lifeline for Iran’s «unstable regime.»
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The crackdown is part of Economic Fury, a broader campaign to squeeze Iran’s economy by limiting its ability to sell oil abroad, revenue the U.S. says funds the regime’s military and destabilizing activities across the Middle East.
«Economic Fury is imposing a financial stranglehold on the Iranian regime, hampering its aggression in the Middle East and helping to curtail its nuclear ambitions,» Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said.
An oil tanker near the terminal at Kharg Island, Iran, as U.S. officials and analysts consider whether seizing the island could significantly impact Iran’s oil exports. (Ali Mohammadi/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Hengli Petrochemical (Dalian) Refinery Co. is a China-based «teapot» refinery, a term used for independent facilities known for purchasing discounted crude, including from sanctioned countries.
The refinery, one of China’s largest independent facilities, has received Iranian oil cargoes from sanctioned shadow fleet vessels since at least 2023. Hengli has also purchased oil tied to Iran’s armed forces, generating hundreds of millions of dollars for the Iranian military.
Hengli has also received shipments tied to Sepehr Energy Jahan Nama Pars Company, a firm identified by U.S. officials as a front for Iran’s armed forces that helps facilitate oil sales abroad.
The company operates on behalf of Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff, using a network of intermediaries and vessels to move sanctioned crude, with proceeds helping fund the country’s military programs and regional proxy groups.
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The Iranian-flagged Touska cargo ship after U.S. forces launched missiles at its control room after its violation of the U.S. blockade in the Strait of Hormuz April 20, 2026. (U.S. Central Command )
The new sanctions also target the network that makes these oil sales possible, a «shadow fleet» of aging tankers and shell companies that move petroleum across global markets while evading sanctions and obscuring the origin of shipments.
These ships avoid detection by transferring cargo from one tanker to another in the open ocean. Treasury officials said 19 vessels were targeted in the action.
A U.S. military helicopter hovers over the sanctioned stateless crude oil tanker M/T Tifani during an interdiction April 21, 2026. (Department of War)
The move is part of the Trump administration’s renewed «maximum pressure» campaign against Iran, aimed at cutting off the regime’s primary source of revenue through oil exports and sanctions enforcement.
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U.S. officials say oil exports remain the backbone of Iran’s economy, and efforts to restrict those flows are designed to limit the government’s ability to fund its military, support proxy groups and advance its nuclear program.
Treasury officials warned that additional sanctions are likely as the U.S. continues targeting the networks, intermediaries and buyers that enable Iran to move oil on the global market.
iran, sanctions, economy, armed forces, nuclear proliferation, energy
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Incumbent Rep. Susie Lee, D-Nev., won Nevada’s 3rd Congressional District Democratic primary Tuesday.
Lee’s district, comprising the southern end of the Las Vegas metro area and extending through sparsely populated communities like the late Sen. Harry Reid’s hometown of Searchlight, is one of the West’s most competitive swing districts, with a Cook Political Report rating of D+1.
Lee, whom Georgetown University’s Lugar Center deems one of the 10 most bipartisan members of Congress, faced James Lally, Terrill Robinson and Brandon West in the primary.
While the Lugar Center credited her bipartisanship, Republicans have criticized her opposition to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which, according to reports, included hundreds of millions of dollars in support for entities in rural Nevada.
Lee has received support from AIPAC and corporate interests such as Boeing, according to The Center Square.
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Rep. Susie Lee, D-Nev., left; Jill Biden, right. (Rachel Aston/Getty Images)
Lally, a cardiologist, told the outlet that Lee’s reputation as a bipartisan lawmaker is a misnomer, saying that she cannot «appease an authoritarian cult» — in an apparent reference to Republican voters and Trump supporters.
Trump’s «No Tax On Tips» has been a rallying cry for Republicans in the district — which hosts some of the largest numbers of tipped workers of any precinct given its proximity to the Strip.
Robinson, meanwhile, is a Marine Corps veteran and former staffer for neighboring Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev.
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Assembly Bill 30 was filed on behalf of the City of North Las Vegas last November. (iStock)
«Terrill is running for Congress because he believes Washington has stopped working for ordinary Americans. He is deeply concerned about the growing influence of corporate money, political self-interest, and the erosion of transparency across government institutions,» his campaign said in a statement on his website.
West recounted his time working several jobs earlier in life — from Carl’s Jr., the Transportation Safety Administration and Service Employees International Union (SEIU), where he became a steward.
«I’ve always been someone who learns by being in it, not watching from the outside. My background has taken me through different environments and perspectives, and that’s shaped how I understand people,» West said.
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«I learned early how to adapt, how to listen, and how to recognize that everyone is coming from a different place. Las Vegas is where I’ve built my life and where I feel grounded.»
Rep. Susie Lee, D-Nev., arrives at the U.S. Capitol before the House passed the budget resolution on Thursday, April 10, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc)
West’s top-listed priority, if elected, is ending all U.S. aid to Israel. He has also said he wants to see ICE «decommissioned.»
Meanwhile, Lee got in hot water recently for a now-deleted expletive-laden X rant against Trump — when the president suggested he would attend oral arguments in the birthright citizenship Supreme Court case.
«So f—ing f—ed up. I’ll pray they f— him to his face,» Lee wrote shortly before 11 p.m. Mountain Time on March 31. «Sorry, I say f— a lot these days.»
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Lee later pushed back on allegations she was a «mentally-deranged psycho» among other retorts from critics, saying in a statement that «clearly my language touched a nerve — my nerve was touched by the attacks on our Constitution and its separation of powers. I took an oath to protect and defend it.»
Fox News Digital’s Adam Pack contributed to this report.
democrats elections, nevada, presidential primaries, primary results, republicans, politics
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Gaming-world veteran who ripped ‘woke’ culture scores Trump-backed battleground primary win
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Trump-endorsed candidate Marty O’Donnell advanced in a crowded GOP primary race to face off against Democratic incumbent Rep. Susie Lee in Nevada’s 3rd congressional district.
O’Donnell is best known as the composer for the popular «Halo» and «Destiny» video game franchises and has run his campaign on putting «families first,» as well as promoting small businesses and community safety.
The district is among Nevada’s most fiercely contested battlegrounds, with its suburban electorate often deciding close races. President Donald Trump carried the district in 2016 and again in 2024, while former President Joe Biden flipped it in 2020.
O’Donnell entered the primary with major GOP backing after securing endorsements from Trump and Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo.
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Composer and audio director Marty O’Donnell attends the 20th annual D.I.C.E. Awards at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nev., on Feb. 23, 2017. (Gabe Ginsberg/Getty Images)
«Susie Lee wants Open Borders, Men playing in Women’s Sports, Transgender for Everyone, Defund the Police, and wants to take away your Second Amendment, meaning, your guns. Sadly, she voted against the Biggest Tax Cut in History (including NO TAX ON TIPS!), and fought ferociously to knock out Rural Healthcare, a big factor in Nevada’s 3rd Congressional District,» wrote Trump in his endorsement on Truth Social in April.
«In contrast, Marty O’Donnell is a World-Class Composer and Entrepreneur who knows the America First Policies required to Create GREAT Jobs, Cut Taxes and Regulations, Promote NO TAX ON TIPS, Advance MADE IN THE U.S.A., and Champion our Nation’s Golden Age. As your next Congressman, Marty will fight tirelessly to Unleash American Energy DOMINANCE, Keep our Border SECURE, Stop Migrant Crime, Ensure LAW AND ORDER, Strengthen our Brave Military/Veterans, and Protect our always under siege Second Amendment,» said Trump.
The video game composer has compared the battles against «woke» ideology in both video games and politics during his run for Congress.
«I believe the enthusiasm for the re-release of the original ‘Halo’ is in large part due to the wokification of the gaming industry,» he wrote in 2025 of «woke» ideology in gaming. «After years of gamers fighting the infiltration of DEI in the industry, we are finally winning.»
«I saw firsthand the beginning of DEI in the industry,» he continued, describing how the industry has faced backlash over games that alienated players with identity politics. «How did gamers react to having things forced on them by non-gamers developing these characters in the studio? They revolted.»
The «Halo» games, centered on humanity’s war against alien invaders, have sold tens of millions of copies, becoming one of the most recognizable and enduring video game franchises since 2001.
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Democrat Rep. Susie Lee has held her seat since 2019. (Madeline Carter/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
The large suburban electorate voted for Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election even as Lee narrowly won the congressional race — a seat she has held since 2019.
Lee, a former second-grade teacher, has strongly opposed Trump’s call to eliminate the Department of Education, advocating instead for increased federal funding for public schools, special education and after-school programs.
The self-proclaimed moderate Lee also campaigned on the cost of living and healthcare, pushing to lower costs for families.
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Nevada’s 3rd congressional district has a significant Hispanic population, and many voters are connected to Nevada’s gaming, hospitality, and tourism industries. (David Becker/Getty Images)
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O’Donnell supports strict border control, a finished border wall and targeting human and drug trafficking.
Lee has occasionally supported tougher border-security measures but is against Trump’s efforts to restrict birthright citizenship and has criticized some aspects of his immigration policies.
elections, nevada, border wall, woke, immigration
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