US moves to seize more than 500,000 barrels of Iranian oil it says was illegally trafficked

By ERIC TUCKER
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department has announced that it is seizing more than 500,000 barrels of internationally sanctioned Iranian fuel. Officials say the crude oil was illegally trafficked to provide funding for the country’s paramilitary force. In addition, prosecutors announced criminal charges related to the sale of the crude oil to buyers in China, Russia and Syria. Officials described the actions, which come at time of simmering tension between the U.S. and Iran, as part of a broader effort to disrupt funding that supports national security threats from Iran.