Secretive Shipments of Iranian Oil to China Are Under Threat by U.S.

The Tifani is just one vessel in the so-called shadow fleet that sustains Iran and its oil trade with China, its No. 1 customer. There are more than 500 ships in the shadow fleet that serves Iran, according to United Against Nuclear Iran, or UANI, a U.S.-based advocacy group.

This elaborate evasion system includes a substantial amount of Iranian oil already at sea and far from the Middle East. If the U.S. continues to target this floating supply, it could cut into an important source of income for the Iranian regime. Without that financial cushion, Tehran would find it much harder to sustain the war and drag out talks to end it.