Iran’s Shadow Oil Trade Persists Near Singapore Despite Regional War
Despite the ongoing Middle East war and stringent international sanctions, Iran continues to export crude oil through a clandestine shadow fleet operating near Singapore. Satellite imagery confirms that ship-to-ship transfers are occurring approximately 70 kilometers off the Malay Peninsula, serving as a strategic hub for laundering Iranian oil origins. Nearly 400 sanctioned tankers, often referred to as a ghost fleet, utilize opaque ownership structures, false flags, and manipulated GPS data to evade detection by the US, EU, and Britain. Since March 1, at least 62.3 million barrels of crude have been transferred in this region, with the majority destined for Chinese ports in Shandong, Liaoning, and Jiangsu. Experts note that contradictory US policies, including temporary sanction waivers followed by port blockades, have incentivized Tehran to rely on these illicit maritime methods rather than legitimate exports. This enduring trade network allows Iran to maintain critical economic ties with China while bypassing geopolitical pressures and military conflicts in the Strait of Hormuz.
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Iran’s Shadow Oil Trade Persists Near Singapore Despite Regional War
Despite the ongoing Middle East war and stringent international sanctions, Iran continues to export crude oil through a clandestine shadow fleet operating near Singapore. Satellite imagery confirms that ship-to-ship transfers are occurring approximately 70 kilometers off the Malay Peninsula, serving as a strategic hub for laundering Iranian oil origins. Nearly 400 sanctioned tankers, often referred to as a ghost fleet, utilize opaque ownership structures, false flags, and manipulated GPS data to evade detection by the US, EU, and Britain. Since March 1, at least 62.3 million barrels of crude have been transferred in this region, with the majority destined for Chinese ports in Shandong, Liaoning, and Jiangsu. Experts note that contradictory US policies, including temporary sanction waivers followed by port blockades, have incentivized Tehran to rely on these illicit maritime methods rather than legitimate exports. This enduring trade network allows Iran to maintain critical economic ties with China while bypassing geopolitical pressures and military conflicts in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Straits Times World News