U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Tuesday slapped sanctions on seven companies that allegedly do business with Iran – two of them companies with strong Israeli ties.
The Ofer brothers own one of the largest private shipping companies in the world.
Among those singled out by Clinton for alleged business ties with Iran were the Ofer Brothers Group, controlled by Yuli Ofer, and the Tanker Pacific group, located in Singapore and owned by Yuli’s brother Sami Ofer, who also has a controlling interest in the Israel Corporation, Zim, Israel Chemicals, Dead Sea Industries, and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines.
A State Department official said that the sanctions on the Ofers’ companies date back to September 2010, when the companies allegedly transferred to Iran an oil tanker in a deal worth $8.65 million. In a statement, the Ofer brothers categorically denied the charges.