The Warlike Oil Business

While the United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) has identified more than 400 foreign oil tankers with no alleged owner that facilitate trade, it has been difficult to identify specific buyers. However, UANI obtained documentation that provides key information on the demand for this illicit and exceptionally lucrative trade. This resource provides detailed and regularly updated information on Chinese buyers of Iranian oil. Data received and reviewed by UANI shows that Chinese petrochemical refineries and their respective holdings, officially non-state and semi-independent, import Iranian oil. . . . Data available through February 2025 shows that the top oil refiner buying Iranian crude is Qingdao-based Lawen Namu Petroleum Trading Co. Ltd. (Lawen Namu). That is, as for example, Lawen Namu received at least 29 different cargoes of Iranian crude, marketed as Oman or Nemina crude. Collectively, these shipments totaled approximately 39 million barrels of Iranian oil. Data provided by UANI (United Against Nuclear Iran).