Washington announced on Friday October 11 a series of sanctions targeting the Iranian oil and petrochemical industry as well as maritime transport companies for prohibited crude oil. These measures clearly target ships engaged in the clandestine fleet which carry out numerous transfers at sea to conceal the origin of the cargo. The destination is well known: China.
« The United States is taking decisive action to disrupt the Iranian regime’s ability to finance and carry out its destabilizing activities in the region said Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen. Ofac (Office of Foreign Assets Control), the body responsible for foreign assets and placed under the authority of the US Treasury, announced on Friday October 11 a series of sanctions targeting the Iranian oil and petrochemical industry in “ response to the October 1 attack on Israel, the second direct attack this year “. On October 1, the country of the Mullahs unleashed 200 missiles against Israel. An attack presented as a response to the assassination of the leader of Palestinian Hamas in Tehran and the leader of Lebanese Hezbollah, as well as a general of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards in an Israeli strike near Beirut.
The sanctions target trade in Iranian oil and petrochemical products but also their transport. Ten companies, nationals of the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, China, Liberia, Panama, Marshall Islands… (and 17 ships) are on the updated list. They are accused of contributing to the country’s energy revenues, and in doing so supporting ” the development of its nuclear program, the proliferation of ballistic missiles and drones, and support for regional terrorist proxies, with dangerous consequences for the region and the world », Specifies the Ofac press release.
The 17 vessels are blocked for having been operated on behalf of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) and Triliance Petrochemical. The US Department of State also designates six other entities under multiple jurisdictions (and their six vessels : Erg 1 ; Voras; Hornet; Shanaye Queen; Carol, Octans) « engaged in a transaction involving the purchase, acquisition, sale, transportation or marketing of petroleum or petroleum products from Iran. »
Clandestine fleet in the viewfinder
Clearly, these measures target units of the clandestine tanker fleet which have been operating for the NIOC for years. The Iranian major has been in Washington’s sights since October 26, 2020 for its financial support for the Quds Force (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) while Triliance has been targeted since January 23 of the same year for its links with the NIOC .
The United States acts within the framework of Stop Harboring Iranian Petroleum Act (ShipAct), which was recently delegated by the President to the Departments of Treasury and State.
Cargoes destined for China
Among the companies targeted are United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based FZE (Max Maritime), accused of operating three of its vessels – Bendigo, Carnatic et Savia –, to carry out multiple ship-to-ship (STS) transfers of Iranian oil with the national shipping carrier, National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC), “ which transports Iranian oil on behalf of NIOC to China “. The Bendigo would have provided a dozen STS according to Ofac.
The Luna Primeformerly known as Selene and owned and managed by Hong Kong-based Cathay Harvest Marine, also transported “ tens of thousands of tons of Iranian heavy crude oil » to several Chinese refineries via transfers with NITC operated off Singapore.
Elza Shipping, based in Liberia, is for its part identified as the registered owner of theElsainvolved in the delivery of hundreds of thousands of barrels of condensast, also via transshipment from a NITC vessel.
The Emirati Jazira Das International Oil Products Trading, for its part, is identified as a recipient on falsified bills of lading in order to hide the origin of the cargo (NIOC). She also acted as an intermediary to conceal transactions between the country’s oil company and the China Concord Petroleum Company. Millions of barrels of oil were thus rendered opaque.
THE Goodwin, He is hard et Wen Yao, managed by Harry Victor Ship Management and Operation, are concerned for transactions with Trilliance. Rita Shipping, based in the Marshall Islands, is the registered owner and manager of the Spirit of Casperdesignated for having transported crude to China.
Likewise for Derector Company, based in China, owner, manager and operator of the Crystal Rose a you Carinaboth having supplied China Concord Petroleum. This refinery was also served by the Dimitra II from the Malaysian company Delnaz Ship Management. Three other of his ships are likely to have served the same purposes (Tyche I, Satina et Cross OCean).
Two other companies, one based in Panama, Diamante Tankers (ship: Aventus I) and the other in the Marshall Islands, Davina Shipping (ship: Davina) also find themselves pinned.
A G7 alignment?
Conventionally, sanctions result in the freezing of assets held directly or indirectly by the targeted companies as well as the ban on companies or individuals based in the United States from trading with these targets. They should complicate trade by limiting the possibility of using the dollar in their transactions.
This announcement “ was coordinated with allies and partners, many of whom will announce their own measures in the coming days aimed at holding Iran accountable for its attack » Underlined Jake Sullivan, President Joe Biden’s national security adviser. The latter had obtained from the G7 a tightening of sanctions after Iran’s attack on Israel. However, the American president is trying to postpone the Israeli response and be opposed to strikes against Iranian nuclear installations while advising against those against oil infrastructure.
Adeline Descamps
