Muscat – The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has issued a federal arrest warrant for Omani citizen Mahmood Rashid Omar Al-Habsi, accusing him of orchestrating a complex international scheme to smuggle Iranian oil in violation of U.S. sanctions.

According to court documents unsealed in Washington, Al-Habsi allegedly used a network of front companies across Oman, Turkey, and the United States to facilitate illicit oil shipments from Iran to Chinese state-owned refineries. The scheme reportedly involved laundering millions of dollars through the U.S. financial system and falsifying shipping documents to conceal the origin of the oil.

One of the key assets in the operation was the oil tanker Oman Pride, which Al-Habsi acquired in 2020 using a $16.5 million loan from American financial institutions. The vessel was later used in ship-to-ship transfers to disguise Iranian crude as legitimate cargo bound for Asia.

The FBI’s warrant, issued on January 25, 2024, charges Al-Habsi with multiple offenses, including violations of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), conspiracy to commit money laundering, and engaging in prohibited transactions with a sanctioned entity.

In a related move, the U.S. State Department’s Rewards for Justice program has offered up to $15 million for information leading to the disruption of financial networks supporting Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including Al-Habsi’s alleged operations.

Al-Habsi’s current whereabouts remain unknown, though investigators believe he may have traveled between Iran and China in recent years. U.S. officials have warned that his activities pose a direct threat to global sanctions enforcement and maritime security.

The case underscores Washington’s intensified efforts to crack down on sanctions evasion and illicit oil trade linked to Iran, amid rising geopolitical tensions and expanding enforcement actions across the Middle East and Asia.