Syria business targeted with US sanctions over IS trade

Companies and individuals that handled Syrian regime trade with the Islamic State group have been targeted by US sanctions, the Treasury announced on Thursday.

Four individuals and five companies were added to the US Treasury's financial blacklist who were named as key to helping Bashar al-Assad's regime obtain much-needed crude oil and fuel despite sanctions on Syria.

Among the suppliers of oil were the Islamic State group, despite Assad's forces facing off with the jihadi organisation on several fronts.

Muhammad al-Qatirji and his Qatirji Company were named by the Treasury as a key broker of fuel trade between the Assad regime and the Islamic State group.

Qatirji provides oil products to IS and ships weapons and food for the regime, according to the Treasury.

He was named the "exclusive agent" for providing suppliers to IS areas, according to the Treasury, according to a 2016 deal.

A Lebanon-UAE network for fuel shipments to Syria, involving Lebanon-based Abar Petroleum and company "advisor" Adnan al-Ali, were also sanctioned, as well as Lebanon-based Nasco Polymers and its owner Fadi Nasser.

UAE-based Hesco Engineering was also blacklisted, which the Treasury said facilitates payments that originate in Syria.

Property owned by those named in US jurisdictions will be frozen and their access blocked to the global financial system.

"Today's action shows that the United States will continue to take concrete and forceful action to cut off material support to the Assad regime and its supporters," the State Department said in a statement.

"The United States will continue to use all available mechanisms to isolate the Assad regime, a government which has systematically arrested, tortured, and murdered tens of thousands of Syrian civilians."