The Maduro-Khamenei Oil Alliance: List of Foreign Flagged Vessels Shipping Iranian and Venezuelan Oil

December 31, 2024 | Claire Jungman and Daniel Roth

Updated: December 31, 2024

On June 11, 2022, Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and former Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi signed a 20-year cooperation agreement to expand ties in the oil and petrochemical industries, the military, and the economy. Since then, bilateral ties have mushroomed, with Iran supplying over 12 million barrels of crude oil and gas condensate in 2023. In exchange, Venezuela has delivered about the same volume of fuel oil cargo to Iran. Most shipments are carried by National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC) vessels in both directions: once Iranian crude and gas are discharged into Venezuelan ports, the same NITC tankers load Venezuelan fuel oil on the return leg to China.

However, a significant number of non-NITC, foreign-flagged (i.e., not Iranian) vessels are also involved in the trade.  Furthermore, UANI has noted that many tankers involved in transporting Iranian oil to countries like China are now participating in the Venezuelan trade. The below list shows foreign-flagged tankers involved in shipping both Iranian oil and Venezuelan oil since 2019. As of December 31, 2024, UANI has documented 93 vessels that have transported both Iranian and Venezuelan oil and oil products through direct loadings or via ship-to-ship transfers.  That represents one-fifth of the vessels on UANI’s ‘Ghost Armada.’

IMO Vessel Name Date Added Current Flag* Former Flags
9213313 ALBEDO (EX: ALITA I) GABON
9273052 ALISSA (EX: DANICA (EX: AFRA CROWN, LAFIZA, GULF VOYAGER) GABON LIBERIA, PANAMA
9331244 ALTER EGO (EX: YALE, PAPA) LIBERIA PANAMA
9244635 AMAK ESWATINI (FALSE) PANAMA, SWAZILAND
9253117 ANSHUN II PANAMA
9248813 ARINA (EX: TALOSA, TJATSE, AKSTA) HONG KONG PANAMA
9227443 ARLAN (EX: INNOVA) SIERRA LEONE VIETNAM
9181194 ASTERIX (EX: PHOENIX, LERAX) GAMBIA CAMEROON, TANZANIA, ST KITTS & NEVIS
9262754 ATILA CAMEROON
9233753 ATILA (EX: ATILAN, HECATE) GUYANA (FALSE) PANAMA, COMOROS, COMOROS (FALSE)
9123192 AVENTINE UNKNOWN PANAMA
9235244 BALU (EX: NEW GLOBAL) CAMEROON PANAMA, MARSHALL ISLANDS
9230880 BELLA 1 (EX: TIMIMIUS, NEOFIT, YANNIS) GUYANA (FALSE) PALAU, LIBERIA, PANAMA
9262168 BERG 1 CURACAO (FALSE) PANAMA, ESWATINI (FALSE)
9263215 BIG MAG (EX: WIN WIN, COSGREAT LAKE) PANAMA LIBERIA
9144782 BODHI (EX: ROBON, TURBA, PELICAN) CAMEROON
9232876 BRAVA LAKE BARBADOS PANAMA
9240512 CARINA (EX: CARINA V) UNKNOWN PANAMA, BARBADOS
9229439 CERES I (EX: PACIFIC ALFA) SAO TOME & PRINCIPE SAO TOME & PRINCIPE (FALSE)
9270517 CINDY (EX: SEAGULL, DREAM VISION) COOK ISLANDS LIBERIA, PANAMA
9197832 DIVINE (EX: SERENE 1, ALISHA) CURACAO (FALSE) PANAMA
9194139 DIVIT (EX: MERAKI, DOMINAR, SEINE) SAO TOME & PRINCIPE (FALSE) PALAU, ANTIGUA & BARBUDA
9283801 EGRET (EX: JADEAR, ACHELOUS) PANAMA
9251951 ENOLA (EX: KOHO I) DJIBOUTI PANAMA
9247986 ERVINA (EX: CRESTED, AMENITY) LIBERIA PANAMA
9245782 FIRENZE K (EX: TOYOMI) PANAMA
9263643 FRUNZE (EX: SONA STAR, LIDINIA) COOK ISLANDS PALAU
9194127 FULL WOOD (EX: STELLAR ORACLE, SAINT LIGHT, YOUNG YONG‡) ESWATINI (FALSE) GUYANA, BARBADOS, DJIBOUTI
9257802 FURIA (EX: CHOLA QUEEN) BARBADOS PANAMA, COOK ISLANDS
9256468 GAGAN (EX: ELSA) COMOROS (FALSE) BELIZE, COMOROS
9290775 GLOBAL HARVEST (EX: MELENIA, GLORY FOREVER) BARBADOS DJIBOUTI
9363833 GOBY VIETNAM
9326720 HERA (EX: GRACY) VIETNAM
9171448 IMPALAS SAO TOME & PRINCIPE PANAMA
9179701 INFINITY (EX: NOLAN, OSLO) GUYANA (FALSE) PANAMA
9144067 ION (ex GORI/SANREMO/STRENGTH 1) CAMEROON
9183271 IONA (EX: CALYPSO) CAMEROON
9102277 ITAUGUA (EX: CINNAMON; PERON) COMOROS PANAMA
9176761 JAKA TARUB (EX: VULA, POLAN, ATLANTA, PELAGOS)† INDONESIA LIBERIA, PANAMA
9188788 JAL GAMINI (EX: PUTRI SAMUDRA, KANHA PRIDE) UNKNOWN TANZANIA, TOGO, PALAU, CAMEROON
9234642 KOALA (EX: ORBIT 1) ANTIGUA & BARBUDA PANAMA, PALAU
9199127 KOEN (EX: BOREY G, CATHAY STAR) PANAMA
9247792 LALIQUE (EX: GABRIELLE, DAMIA, OAKA) PANAMA LIBERIA
9288095 LAN JING (EX: WEN YAO) CURACAO (FALSE) PANAMA, COOK ISLANDS, SAN MARINO
9245794 LATTAFA (EX: MARIANNE) PANAMA
9203277 LEXIE (EX: DAZZLE, VERA) UNKNOWN CAMEROON, SAMOA (FALSE), COMOROS
9041057 LIA (EX: GOTICA, SERENITY)‡ GUYANA (FALSE) TANZANIA
9222443 LILY (EX: TRICIA II, TIBURTINA, ARABELA, KYOTO) TANZANIA PANAMA, COMOROS
9254082 LIMAS (EX: KOHANA, IRISES GUYANA (FALSE) PANAMA
9185530 LION KING (EX: SANAR, DAWN II, SPAR) GUYANA (FALSE) PANAMA
9174220 LUNA PRIME (EX: SELENE) PANAMA
9259599 LURYN (EX: HAI II, YING HAI) GUINEA (FALSE) LIBERIA
9266750 MAGIC LADY (EX: YONG XING SHUN HANG) BARBADOS PANAMA, LIBERIA
9242118 MARIGOLD (EX: SHANAYE QUEEN) GUYANA (FALSE) PANAMA, MALAYSIA
9271406 MENG XIN (EX: ALTUS, ASTRID I, ORNELLA) PANAMA GABON
9018464 MIA (EX: ZULU, DOLPHIN)‡ GUYANA (FALSE) TANZANIA
9311270 MONIQUE (EX: ELYSIA) COOK ISLANDS LIBERIA, PANAMA
9257149 NESO (EX: STATICE) PANAMA
9234666 NIERUS (EX: ISAIAH) PANAMA LIBERIA
9439058 NORNS (EX: ORIENT) GABON LIBERIA
9242120 NYANTARA (EX: ROSSONERI, SHAWNA) PANAMA TOGO, ST KITTS & NEVIS
9224295 OCTANS (EX: JUDY II,TIAN YING ZUO) SAO TOME & PRINCIPE SAO TOME & PRINCIPE (FALSE)
9212759 OLYM (EX: OLYMPICS, LADY SOFIA) GUYANA (FALSE) PANAMA
9192260 OTARIA (EX: GALA, WINSOME, UMM HABAYEB, BLUE PEARL, JUBILANT) CAMEROON ST KITTS & NEVIS, GUYANA, GABON, PANAMA
9224805 OXIS (EX: UZOR) CAMEROON
9292163 PAMR (EX: BERTHA, MONICA S) UNKNOWN PANAMA, COOK ISLANDS
9102239 PENNY H (ex WU XIAN) UNKNOWN TANZANIA
9241114 PENTA I PANAMA
9236248 PHOENIX I COOK ISLANDS PANAMA
9198317 PHONIX (EX: LUNA LAKE) GUYANA (FALSE) PANAMA
9316701 PROGRESS V UNKNOWN PANAMA, COOK ISLANDS, BARBADOS
9248473 REBI (EX: FENG TAI, ARZOYI) GUYANA (FALSE) PANAMA
9233650 RIQUEZA PANAMA
9197909 ROZA CAMEROON
9230878 SA CAPRICORN LIBERIA SINGAPORE
9436006 SAMSUN (EX: PARAMOUNT) PANAMA MARSHALL ISLANDS
9294240 SAPPHIRE (EX: CATHAY KIRIN) HONG KONG PANAMA
9304667 SKIPPER (EX: ADISAJ)‡ GUYANA (FALSE) PANAMA
9253064 SOTHYS UNKNOWN VIETNAM
9237632 STAR FOREST (EX: GALAXY STAR) HONG KONG PANAMA
9235476 SUMMER 7 COOK ISLANDS PANAMA
9213296 TELESTO (EX: BRIGHT SONIA) GUINEA (FALSE) PANAMA
9248485 URANUS (ex AZTEC, HERMES, CALLIOP) UNKNOWN TANZANIA, GUYANA, CAMEROON
9248497 URI (EX: BOREAS) COMOROS (FALSE) PANAMA, COMOROS
9199828 VENTURA (EX: GULF VENTURE, LEVIATHAN, ELISA SEA, ARK RESCUE) UNKNOWN ST KITTS & NEVIS, CAMEROON, GABON, TANZANIA
9304655 VERA (EX: CARNATIC, ANNICK) CURACAO (FALSE) PANAMA, COOK ISLANDS, BARBADOS
9326055 VERONICA III UNKNOWN PANAMA
9233739 VETER CAMEROON
9208136 VIGO (EX: MERCY 08) VIETNAM
9262156 VIGOR (EX: SANTA MARINA) PANAMA MALTA
9236250 VIRGO ESWATINI (FALSE) PANAMA
9247431 WILMA II (EX: REMY, EASTERN PRIDE) PANAMA LIBERIA
9304356 YODAN (EX: JENO, HERA 1, HERA) BARBADOS PANAMA, VANUATU, COMOROS, COOK ISLANDS

* Change of flag due to UANI intervention

‡ Vessel was sanctioned prior to inclusion on UANI’s public list of vessels suspected of involvement in Iran. The vessel remains on UANI’s list as it is currently foreign-flagged or ship-tracking platforms have failed to update the flag to unknown.

The vessels italicized indicate that the vessel was sanctioned after inclusion on UANI’s public list of vessels suspected of involvement in the illicit transfer of Iranian oil.