Rubio’s Stop in Panama Opens a Campaign Against ‘Shadow Fleet’ of Vessels Skirting U.S. Sanctions on Iran and Russia

"As Secretary Rubio visits President Mulino of Panama Sunday, an advocacy group, United Against Nuclear Iran, is urging the former senator to add pressure on the Central American country to end its abetting of a “shadow fleet” of smuggling ships that circumvent American sanctions on Iran, Russia, and others. As a senator, Mr. Rubio “has been a real leader on this issue,” UANI’s policy director, Jason Brodsky, tells the Sun. “We want there to be an effective maximum pressure campaign on Panama, which is responsible for the majority of the flaggings of these ghost fleet vessels.” Under American pressure, driven in part by UANI’s meticulous tracking of ships carrying sanctioned cargo, Panama has recently made an effort to de-flag some of the smuggling vessels."