New UANI Report Details Iran’s Illicit Shipping And Sanctions Evasion Tactics  

(New York, N.Y.) — United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) has published a new report, Oceans Of Deceit: Iran’s Deceptive Shipping Practice And Exploitation Of The Maritime Industry, outlining the different schemes used by Iranian and foreign-flagged vessels to smuggle Iranian oil to purchasers in violation of U.S. sanctions as well as how the schemes can be detected and disrupted. This report also provides recommendations to the maritime industry to further strengthen due diligence measures. 

Iran uses deceptive practices that are compromising the safety and integrity of the maritime industry. Through extensive case studies developed over the last four years, the report details how Iranian and foreign-flagged vessels use various ‘spoofing’ techniques, manipulate metadata and Automatic Identification System (AIS) data, use multiple AIS transponders, carry fraudulent documents, obscure the origin of cargos through ship-to-ship transfers, and even alter the physical identity of vessels to smuggle its cargos.

“This report and its case studies show how Iran is working to evade sanctions, and more importantly, how its activities can be detected. It is essential that the industry and its regulators develop and implement a more effective sanctions compliance program,” said the report’s author, UANI Chief of Staff Claire Jungman. 

To read UANI’s report, Oceans Of Deceit: Iran’s Deceptive Shipping Practice And Exploitation Of The Maritime Industry, please click here. 

To read UANI’s resource, Iran Tanker Tracking: Shipping Analysis, please click here.

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