Iran makes use of a “ghost fleet” of ships flying different international locations’ flags as a loophole for oil exports, with 49% of those ships flying the Panamanian flag. The nonprofit Union Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) used open supply information to establish 383 suspected “ghost fleet” vessels, together with 189 Panamanian-flagged vessels.
“From supporting proxies like Hezbollah and Hamas, to supporting the brutal Syrian regime, accelerating its nuclear, drone and ballistic missile packages, and violent crackdowns on home protests, killing a whole lot and leaving hundreds extra weak. “Iran continues to function, as much as and together with the arrest of its personal residents, in opposition to peace, stability, democracy, and shared American values and pursuits throughout the Middle East,” the senators wrote. ing. “…Thanks to the ghost fleet, Iran has been in a position to export a whole lot of tens of millions of barrels of Iranian oil in recent times, finally funding the regime’s continued human rights abuses, proxy forces, and nuclear proliferation program. ”
Compared to different international locations, together with different Flags of Convenience, Panama has not been as diligent in investigating and flagging vessels of concern based mostly on UANI notifications. Increasing Panama’s efforts would considerably scale back the variety of ships transporting Iranian oil, limiting Iran’s income.
As the rating member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and chairman of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee, Senator King is an lively and vocal supporter of the significance of democratic values and defeating terrorism. Last week, Senator King mirrored on his journey to the Middle East in early January, warning that continued assaults by the Iranian-backed Houthi terrorist proxy group on worldwide transport routes would require motion. Senator King has additionally been outspoken about the necessity to defeat Hamas, one other Iranian-backed terror proxy based mostly in Gaza, which has massacred greater than 1,000 harmless Israeli civilians. , dedicated mass gender-based violence, together with rape, and took a whole lot of individuals hostage.
In addition to King, U.S. Sens. Bob Casey (D-Pennsylvania), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and James Risch (R-Conn.) (Idaho), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin), Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-Rhode Island), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Jackie Rosen (D-Nevada), John Kennedy (R-Louisiana), Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) ), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Mike Blouin (R-IN), John Cornyn (R-TX), John Fetterman (D- (Pennsylvania), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), and Peter Welch (D-VT) additionally signed the letter.
The full textual content of the letter will be seen beneath or right here.
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We write to you based mostly on our shared perception that Panama is a robust, democratic ally of the United States and an essential commerce and safety accomplice. As , depriving Iran of funds and assets to fund worldwide terrorism has been a bipartisan coverage of the United States for many years. In addition to threatening regional safety within the Middle East, Iran is firmly linked to transnational prison exercise and terrorism in our hemisphere. 1 We due to this fact request that we work with the United States to conduct an investigation of a major variety of vessels registered in Panama. It is believed to be transporting Iranian oil in violation of US sanctions.
The United States has imposed a sequence of sanctions in opposition to the Iranian regime in response to and condemning Iran’s severe human rights violations and state sponsorship of terrorism. From supporting proxies like Hezbollah and Hamas to supporting the brutal Syrian regime, accelerating its nuclear, drone and ballistic missile packages, and violent crackdowns on home protests, killing a whole lot and leaving hundreds extra weak. Iran has constantly engaged in opposition actions, even going as far as to arrest its personal residents. Peace, stability, democracy, and shared American values and pursuits throughout the Middle East. Hamas’s barbaric assault on Israeli civilians on October 7 highlights the urgency of depriving this regime of funds it makes use of to additional its nefarious plans.
About 1 / 4 of Iran’s income comes from oil exports. In 2018 and 2019, the United States imposed sanctions on Iranian oil, considerably limiting these exports. In current years, Iran and its patrons have used a “ghost fleet” of ships utilizing ingenious know-how to cover the origins of Iranian oil and allow a restoration in Iran’s oil revenues. These strategies embody transferring oil between tankers at sea, turning off GPS monitoring gadgets earlier than getting into Iranian ports, repainting ships mid-way, and transferring “flags” between totally different nationwide registries. This contains labeling oil as a unique kind of gasoline. Thanks to the ghost fleet, Iran has been in a position to export a whole lot of tens of millions of barrels of Iranian oil in recent times, finally funding the regime’s continued human rights abuses, terrorist proxy forces, and nuclear proliferation program.
We have completely investigated the alleged involvement of those 189 vessels in transporting sanctioned Iranian oil and, in accordance with our established procedures, have eliminated the flags of vessels whose involvement is supported by the accessible proof and can proceed to take action. We respectfully request that such vessels be refused to fly the flag once more and that related measures be prolonged. Surveillance of vessels suspected of evading sanctions in opposition to different international locations.
We hope that this situation will obtain pressing consideration as a worthy new instance of historic cooperation between our two international locations to advertise worldwide peace and safety. Thank you on your dedication to this essential situation.
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