The Iranian regime continues to exploit a covert network of oil tankers, dubbed the “ghost fleet,” to circumvent international sanctions and fund its activities.
This shadow fleet, the largest of its kind globally, reportedly smuggles approximately 1.7 million barrels of oil daily. According to oil analytics firm TankerTrackers, the regime’s reliance on these clandestine operations has increased, allowing it to maintain a flow of oil despite widespread sanctions.
The term “ghost fleet” refers to ships that turn off their Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponders, rendering them invisible to tracking systems. These tankers engage in ship-to-ship transfers in international waters, rebranding the oil to conceal its Iranian origin. This oil is smuggled primarily to China, the United Arab Emirates, and Syria, with China being the largest buyer.
This is how the oil tanker Dark Fleet is being utilized. These stats reflect on the past year's average and are stated in bpd (barrels per day).
– Iran to China: 1,504,054
– Russia to India: 390,148
– Russia to China: 366,589
– Venezuela to China: 325,474
– Iran to UAE: 200,992… pic.twitter.com/8beBJ8v2x4— TankerTrackers.com, Inc. (@TankerTrackers) September 3, 2024
In 2023, TankerTrackers revealed that Iran smuggled about 1.5 million barrels of crude oil and condensates daily to China, alongside 200,000 barrels of fuel oil to the UAE and 70,000 barrels of crude to Syria. This figure rose to 1.7 million barrels per day in 2024, surpassing the smuggling activities of other sanctioned nations like Venezuela and Russia.
Despite these findings, the U.S. Treasury Department has blacklisted only a portion of the 400 tankers identified by the organization United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) as part of Iran’s smuggling operations. Most of this oil is rebranded as Malaysian before being sold to Chinese refineries, with Chinese imports labeled as Malaysian oil surging in recent months.
Mohsen Rafiqdoost, who was Minister of the #Iran'ian regime’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (#IRGC) during the Iran-Iraq war, believes an effective way to circumvent international sanctions, is to use the private sector to sell Iranian oil.https://t.co/BcZps1PmX4 pic.twitter.com/I6gGcet2Nh
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) June 22, 2019
While Iran’s oil exports have grown, reaching their highest levels in five years, the economic benefits have not trickled down to the Iranian people. The country continues to grapple with high inflation, a devaluing currency, and widespread dissatisfaction, as the regime diverts national wealth toward sustaining its shadowy oil empire.
MEK Iran (follow us on Twitter and Facebook), Maryam Rajavi’s on her site, Twitter & Facebook, NCRI (Twitter & Facebook), and People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran – MEK IRAN – YouTu