WASHINGTON

The US on Friday imposed sanctions on nine vessels and eight related firms tied to Iran’s so-called shadow fleet, escalating pressure on Tehran over the killing of protesters, the Treasury Department said.

The vessels and their owners or management companies, based in countries including India, Oman and the UAE, have transported hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of Iranian oil and petroleum products to foreign markets, the Treasury said in a statement.

The Treasury cited Iran's “brutal crackdown on peaceful protesters and its complete shutdown of internet access to conceal its abuses against the Iranian people.”

“Today’s sanctions target a critical component of how Iran generates the funds used to repress its own people,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said, adding that revenue from oil exports has been diverted to fund Iran’s security services, weapons programs and regional proxies instead of basic services for Iranians.

In a separate statement, the State Department said this latest action will “further restrict Iran’s ability to export petroleum and petroleum products through obscure and fraudulent mechanisms, and will further constrain its ability to bankroll the repression of Iranians and international malign behavior.”

Iran has been rocked by waves of protests since last month, starting on Dec. 28 at Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, over the sharp depreciation of the Iranian rial and worsening economic conditions. Demonstrations later spread to several other cities.

Iranian officials have accused the US and Israel of backing what they describe as "armed rioters," who have carried out several attacks in public places nationwide.

US President Donald Trump repeatedly threatened to "hit hard" if protesters were killed, but later commended Tehran for reportedly canceling hundreds of scheduled executions.

The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that Trump is pressing aides for “decisive” military options against Iran after stepping back from potential strikes.