UANI Condemns UNSC Chair Panama’s Ongoing Complicity in Undermining Sanctions on Iran

(New York, NY) — United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) Chairman Governor Jeb Bush and CEO Ambassador Mark D. Wallace issued the following statement:

“We strongly condemn the Republic of Panama for its continued flagging of tankers carrying Iranian oil—an act that flagrantly undermines international sanctions aimed at curbing Iran’s malign activities, including its nuclear and regional destabilization efforts. Panama’s actions directly facilitate the circumvention of lawful and necessary sanctions regimes, shielding illicit oil trade under the veneer of a legitimate maritime registry. As we noted in our joint op-ed in The Hill today:

Panama should not be elevated—it should be sanctioned. A country that knowingly enables Iran’s sanctions evasion should not be rewarded with the symbolic leadership of the very body charged with upholding those sanctions.

“It is particularly troubling that this comes at a time when Panama has assumed the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council for the month of August. This position carries not only policy influence and procedural leadership, but also immense moral responsibility. As the representative “face” of the Council, Panama is expected to exemplify—rather than subvert—the principles of international law, peace, and security. Even after it concludes the presidency of the UN Security Council in September, Panama will retain its status as a non-permanent member until 2026. With that seat, comes responsibility.

“Yet Panama’s long-standing and conscious role in enabling Iranian sanctions evasion, to the tune of tens of billions in petro-dollars since 2020, belies the values the UN Security Council is meant to uphold. Through its permissive and opaque ship registry practices, Panama has repeatedly allowed vessels engaged in transporting sanctioned Iranian oil to operate under its flag. Of the 542 foreign-flagged vessels that have carried Iranian oil since 2020, mainly to China, some 289 have at one stage or another flown Panama’s flag. It is not mere negligence—it is a pattern of behavior. Even now, some 116 vessels in UANI’s Ghost Fleet carry the flag of Panama.

“We call on Panama to immediately end the flagging of vessels involved in sanctions violations and to uphold the integrity and credibility of the office it now holds. We note Panama’s most recent attempt to deflect from this long-standing issue, announcing on August 2 its intention to refrain from flagging vessels older than 15 years. Regrettably, this is yet another example of self-promotional Panamanian half-measures that deflect, rather than address, the root issue.

“Anything less than a full blanket de-flagging of all ghost fleet tankers threatens to erode the moral authority of the Security Council and embolden rogue actors across the globe.”

To read UANI Chairman Jeb Bush and CEO Mark Wallace’s op-ed in The Hill today regarding Panama’s ongoing undermining of oil sanctions, click here.

To read UANI Chairman Jeb Bush’s January 2023 op-ed in the Washington Post on the same issue, see here.