In Case You Missed It: "Pressure from Governments and Groups Such as New York-Based United Against Nuclear Iran is Building"

In Case You Missed It: "Pressure from Governments and Groups Such as New York-Based United Against Nuclear Iran is Building"
UANI Shipping Campaign Twice Mentioned by The Wall Street Journal

Iran's Oil Ships Sail Into Troubled Waters
By Benoît Faucon
The Wall Street Journal
June 25, 2012

Iran, already braced for escalating sanctions in coming days, is facing another challenge to ship its oil that could ultimately curtail its crude sales more than expected.

Under pressure from lobbying groups campaigning against Iran's nuclear program, some specialized companies that supply the safety certificates required for ships to dock at foreign ports are terminating their dealings with Iran. Tankers from Iran and elsewhere can't sail without a stamp of approval from these "classification societies," which survey the vessels to ensure they are safe and environmentally sound. ...

One by one over the last few months, European classification societies such as Norway's Det Norske Veritas, the U.K.'s Lloyd's Register and France's Bureau Veritas have terminated contracts to survey Iranian ships, including ships for the country's largest tanker company, NITC. ...

Any sailing ban on Iranian tankers would be a dramatic setback for Tehran's oil lifeblood, which increasingly relies on its domestic vessels to ship its crude after shippers that feared insurance problems stopped carrying its oil. ...

Some classification companies hint that political campaigning from U.S.-based campaign groups was behind their decision to sever their Iranian links.

"It is of the utmost importance that we maintain our good reputation," Germany's Germanische Lloyd said in a letter sent to advocacy group United Against Nuclear Iran, announcing its termination of Iranian ship surveys. ...

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Mystery Ship Underlines Pain Tehran Faces Over Sanctions
By Wayne Ma and Benoît Faucon
The Wall Street Journal
June 22, 2012

An Iranian oil shipper's $100 million tanker, on order from China, is nearly ready to sail the high seas. But it's turning out to be a mystery ship. ...

The fog around the new tanker shows the high level of secrecy companies are imposing on their business with Iran these days-especially in the oil sector-in the face of heightened pressure to squeeze Iran economically. ...

Until now, the company had been spared by the restrictions. But political and legal pressure from governments and groups such as New York-based United Against Nuclear Iran is building for companies to cut their links to the tanker company. ...

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