In a Fresh Case, US Sanctions Authority Probes Adani’s Alleged Iranian LPG Imports

New Delhi: The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has initiated a formal civil investigation into Adani Enterprises regarding potential violations of American sanctions against Iran. The probe, which centres on the alleged import of Iranian energy products, marks a significant escalation in the regulatory scrutiny facing the Indian conglomerate, considered close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the United States.

The investigation was confirmed following the receipt of a Request for Information (RFI) by the company via email on February 4, 2026. While OFAC does not publicly announce pending investigations, the probe focuses on whether the Adani Group processed transactions through US financial institutions that involved Iranian Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG). The transactions were first reported by the Wall Street Journal. 

According to the Adani group’s formal disclosure, OFAC has indicated it is conducting a civil investigation of the company's transactions processed through US financial institutions that may have involved, directly or indirectly, Iran or interests of persons subject to US sanctions against Iran. Under the US sanctions law, foreign entities can face severe penalties, including being cut off from the US financial system, if they are found to have materially assisted or provided support for Iran’s energy sector.

US federal authorities are specifically examining shipments dating from June 2023 to the present. The scrutiny aligns with broader US efforts to crack down on "shadow fleet" operations – networks of tankers that use ship-to-ship transfers and deactivated transponders to obscure the origin of sanctioned oil. While the issuance of an RFI is a standard fact-finding step in a civil inquiry and does not constitute a final finding of guilt, it signals that US authorities have gathered sufficient cause to demand internal records and shipping data to determine if violations occurred.

As of February 10, 2026, the US government has not placed Adani Enterprises on the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list or levied fines regarding this specific matter. OFAC investigations are confidentially conducted administrative processes; their existence typically remains unconfirmed by the Treasury Department until a settlement is reached or penalties are imposed.

Consequently, the current details of the probe are available solely because regulatory obligations forced the company to disclose the federal inquiry to Indian stock exchanges.

This sanctions probe compounds an already precarious legal landscape for the conglomerate in the United States.

In a separate and far more advanced criminal case, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) are prosecuting Gautam Adani and other senior executives for an alleged $265 million bribery scheme.

Unsealed in November 2024 by the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, the indictment charges the executives with securities fraud, wire fraud and conspiracy. Federal prosecutors allege that the defendants paid massive bribes to Indian government officials to secure lucrative solar energy contracts and subsequently lied to U.S. investors to raise billions of dollars in capital.

In late January, 2026, legal proceedings in this case moved forward after the accused executives agreed to accept service of legal summons, ending a year-long procedural standoff of the Modi government with American courts. If convicted, the defendants face significant prison time and financial penalties.

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