UANI Calls On Oaktree, Fleetscape, And Empire Navigation To Investigate And Clarify Activities Of Additional Vessels Suspected Of Engaging In Illicit Activity

UANI Renews Call on Suez Rajan Parties to Disclose Results of Investigation into SUEZ RAJAN Apparent Oil Smuggling

UANI Calls for Forfeiture of all Oil Smuggling and Shipping Proceeds related to Illicit Oil Smuggling

(New York, N.Y.) — United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) calls on Oaktree Capital Management, Fleetscape, and Empire Navigation (‘The SUEZ RAJAN PARTIES’) to definitively clarify the activities of additional vessels suspected of engaging in illicit and sanctionable activity. To date, the SUEZ RAJAN PARTIES have ignored requests to make their findings public regarding the suspected illicit activities of the SUEZ RAJAN.  They must do so immediately. UANI calls on the SUEZ RAJAN PARTIES to direct the oil-laden on the SUEZ RAJAN to a U.S. port for appropriate sale and administration and to forfeit to the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund (USVSST) all proceeds derived from the charter and transport of smuggled oil.

Based on data from leading ship tracking platforms and the use of satellite imagery, UANI suspects that the Oaktree/Fleetscape associated vessels SUEZ HANS (IMO: 9524463) and ATLANTIS (IMO: 9365239) transported Iranian oil between May 2021 and October 2021. Specifically, the SUEZ HANS is suspected of loading approximately 1 million barrels of Iranian oil in early October 2021 and delivering the oil to Qingdao, China, on November 16, 2021.

The ATLANTIS is suspected of engaging in a ship-to-ship (“STS”) transfer of approximately 700,000 barrels of Iranian oil in early June 2021 and delivering the oil to Zhanjiang, China, in late June 2021. UANI calls on Oaktree/Fleetscape to investigate the activities of these vessels during this time period and to publicly reveal the results of this investigation.

An additional vessel associated with Empire Navigation, the FEYHA N (IMO: 9613139), is suspected of engaging in the transport of Iranian oil in October 2021. On October 6, 2021, FEYHA N was suspected of engaging in an STS of Iranian oil with the crude oil tanker PALMER (IMO: 9301524). Prior to engaging in the STS with FEYHA N, PALMER engaged in an STS with VIRGO (IMO: 9236250), the same vessel that SUEZ RAJAN received its Iranian oil from. FEYHA N delivered approximately 1 million barrels of Iranian oil to Qingdao, China, on November 19, 2021. UANI calls on Empire Navigation to investigate the activities of these vessels during this time period and to publicly reveal the results of this investigation.

UANI calls on the classification societies, P&I clubs, and flag states to investigate the vessels described and, if found to have engaged in any illicit activity, to terminate any agreements with these vessels and their associated parties.

The SUEZ RAJAN PARTIES should not profit from these activities. Any and all profits derived from the illicit activities of the SUEZ RAJAN and the additional vessels described above should be forfeited immediately to the USVSST.

 UANI CEO Ambassador Mark D. Wallace stated: 

“We have real concerns. We have silence from the SUEZ RAJAN PARTIES in the face of real concerns of illicit Iranian oil smuggling. And it appears that this isn’t the first instance of Iranian oil smuggling associated with the SUEZ RAJAN PARTIES. They must be transparent and reveal the full scope and extent of these illicit activities, and they must be accountable. The SUEZ RAJAN PARTIES must forfeit all profits arising out of or relating to these illicit oil smuggling activities as a result of the shipment and sale of Iranian oil. All persons and entities should bar activities with these companies and vessels unless and until the SUEZ RAJAN PARTIES are fully transparent and accountable for this activity.”

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

To read UANI’s blog post, February 2022 Iran Tanker Tracking, please click here.