US Treasury targets Syria oil delivery networks with new sanctions

The US Treasury Department said on Thursday (Sep. 6) it was imposing sanctions on four people and five entities it said facilitated petroleum shipments and financing to the Assad regime.

The individuals sanctioned are Syrian nationals Yasir ‘Abas, Adnan Al-Ali and Muhammad al-Qatirji and Lebanese national Fadi Nasser.

The entities are the Syria-based Qatirji Company, Lebanon-based Nasco Polymers & Chemicals and Abar Petroleum Service SAL and the United Arab Emirates-based International Pipeline Construction and Sonex Investments Ltd.

"The United States will continue to use all available mechanisms to isolate the Assad regime which has systematically arrested, tortured and murdered tens of thousands of Syrian civilians in response to their legitimate and nonviolent calls for their freedom, rights and political reforms," the State Department said in a statement.

It said in a statement the sanctions targeted Muhammad al-Qatirji and his company, which it said facilitated fuel trade between the Assad regime and ISIS militants, as well as a fuel-procurement network that operates in Syria, Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates to secure deliveries to Assad regime.