Iranian ‘Ghost Fleet’ Tankers Slip Past US Blockade to Reach China, UANI Says
Small Iranian “ghost fleet” tankers are evading the US naval blockade and smuggling sanctioned liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to China through a shadowy maritime hub off Malaysia, according to United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), which conducted a months-long probe. The organization covertly filmed one of the vessels en route in September.
At least nine similar tankers carrying Iranian oil or LPG have also evaded US restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz since Washington reinstated the Iranian port blockade in July. UANI identified one of the sanctioned tankers as the SOGL, which allegedly escaped the blockade on September 1 carrying approximately 500,000 barrels of Iranian LPG after collecting it at an Iranian port in August.
Malaysian Anchorage Becomes Critical Staging Ground for Iran’s Sanctioned Energy Trade with China
The vessel then traveled thousands of miles to a Malaysian offshore anchorage, where UANI filmed the vessel receiving fuel and other services offshore. The ship then traveled on to China, where the organization said it discharged its Iranian cargo.
“This tanker had loaded its Iranian LPG from Assaluyeh Port, Iran, in late August,” Jemima Shelley, a senior analyst at UANI, explained. “It then breached the US blockade and made its way to a Malaysian anchorage.” What this shows us is that some vessels are managing to breach the US maritime blockade,” Shelley said of the footage shared exclusively with Fox News Digital.
US Blockade an Overwhelming Success in Preventing Iranian Oil Exports
The area allows vessels to wait offshore, receive supplies and transfer cargo between tankers, providing a logistical lifeline for Iranian energy exports as American naval forces patrol waters closer to Iran. UANI had been monitoring the SOGL before its arrival in Malaysian waters, Shelley explained.
US TARGETS CHINESE REFINERY IN SWEEPING IRAN OIL CRACKDOWN, SANCTIONS ‘SHADOW FLEET’ TANKERS
Original Article: Iranian ‘ghost fleet’ filmed evading US blockade en route to China, UANI says — Wfmd