The United States on Friday imposed fresh sanctions on nine ships and their owners for carrying hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of Iranian oil to foreign markets. The US Treasury said the move targets a key way Iran funds its crackdown on protesters by shutting down the internet nationwide to hide its actions. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said, "The measures target a critical component of how Iran generates the funds used to repress its own people." The nine ships, registered in places like Palau and Panama, are part of Iran’s "shadow fleet"—a group of old tankers moving oil illegally under sanctions. These sanctions prevent the targeted entities from dealing with Americans or using US financial systems. The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) stated the vessels and their operators shipped hundreds of millions in Iranian oil overseas. Iran has blocked internet access since January 8, amid widespread protests and a harsh government crackdown. This internet shutdown is the longest in Iran's history. The sanctions come as US-Iran tensions rise. An American aircraft carrier group is moving closer to the Middle East. President Donald Trump called it an "armada" positioned "just in case" of needed action against Iran, according to AP. Trump also claimed his warnings stopped over 800 executions of dissidents, a statement Iran's top prosecutor called "completely false." Human rights groups estimate the death toll in Iran's protests at over 5,000. Earlier, the US sanctioned Iranian officials and firms helping the crackdown, including a top security official who pushed for violence against protesters.