Tanker Tracking

The barbaric atrocity inflicted by Iran-backed Hamas on October 7 has reignited the question of how to stop billions of petro-dollars flowing to the head of the snake in Tehran. Since the start of the Biden administration, Iran has exported well north of $80 billion worth of its oil.  Billions are, in turn, given to terror proxies. Hamas alone receives $100 million each year from its Iranian patrons, with horrific results.

“Is Malaysia helping Iran skirt oil sanctions?” this blog asked in July 2019.  Four years and a billion barrels of oil later, the Guardian has asked the same, highlighting striking discrepancies noted in UANI data between official records from China and Malaysia:

This month, Iran’s oil exports reached levels not seen since 2017. During the first 20 days of August, Iran dispatched an average of two million barrels of oil daily. This marks a substantial increase of more than 30% compared to previous months. The key to understanding this oil export surge lies in the relaxation of sanctions enforcement by the Biden administration, particularly to China. This approach has opened avenues for Iran to revive and significantly increase its exports.

The case of the Panama Maritime Authority’s re-flagging of vessels previously de-flagged by other nations due to Iran sanctions violations serves as a stark illustration of economic interests overshadowing ethical obligations. Notably, Panama is not only infamous for re-flagging but also for flagging vessels that violate sanctions. These decisions contradict the essence of the Registry Information Sharing Compact (RISC) agreement and, in turn, enable Iran’s illicit activities with devastating consequences that cannot be justified by financial gains.

The Iran Oil Show, once an authentically global gathering of multinational companies, is today a stark reflection of Tehran's mounting reliance on just two countries: Russia and China. The official handbook at this year's show – obtained by UANI in Tehran – lists barely a handful of non-Russian or non-Chinese foreign attendees.

In the first week of June, the Stop Harboring Iranian Petroleum Act (SHIP Act) of 2023 (H.R. 3774) was introduced in the House by Representatives Reps. Mike Lawler (R-NY) and Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), and in the Senate by Sens.

Earlier this month, one of Iran’s “ghost armada” vessels, PABLO (IMO: 9133587), exploded off the coast of Malaysia, ten days after departing China.  Three crew members are presumed dead, with others suffering severe burns.

On April 21,  Reuters reported that Chinese authorities were conducting more rigorous customs checks on Iranian oil imports entering the northeast province of Shandong, causing delays “after several Iranian [crude oil] cargos were [falsely] declared as bitumen….”  As a consequence, 9.6 million barrels are now awaiting customs clearance for entry.

On March 12, Iranian Oil Minister Javad Owji had encouraging news for the Islamic Republic regime.  “Iran’s oil exports have reached their highest level since the reimposition of U.S. sanctions in 2018,” reported Reuters on his announcement, with “83 million more barrels in the current year starting 21st March 2022 [that] were exported compared to the previous Iranian year running March 2021-2022.”

Now more than halfway through President Biden’s four-year term, we are still left to wonder if the Administration will seriously address the biggest single sanction-busting scheme happening right under its nose – Iranian oil exports to China.  At the current trajectory, China will have imported 1.2 billion barrels of Iranian oil during the Biden presidency, worth in the region of $100 billion.  In fact, recent higher figures suggest the total figure will be closer to 1.3 billion come January 2025.