Iran's shadow oil trade endures near Singapore despite war
At least 37 Iran-linked tankers have moved 62.3 million barrels since March 1, according to Kpler data analyzed by AFP.
- Since March 1, at least 37 Iran-linked tankers have transferred at least 62.3 million barrels of crude near Singapore, according to Kpler data analysed by AFP. These ship-to-ship transfers help Iran evade international sanctions.
- Iran's ageing 'ghost fleet' operates clandestinely, exploiting opaque ownership, false flags, and GPS manipulation to 'launder' cargoes and evade global sanctions. Ship-to-ship transfers on the high seas disguise the origin of these illicit shipments.
- An area southeast of the Malay Peninsula has emerged as a strategic hub for these transfers. Amir Handjani of the US-based Quincy Institute described the STS situation there as 'total anarchy.'
- Cargoes typically head to Chinese ports in Shandong and Jiangsu provinces. Elisabeth Braw of the Atlantic Council said 'contradictory activities' by the United States make shadow exports safer than legitimate trade.
- STS transfers are expected to thrive following the United States blockade of Iranian ports that started on Monday. Naveen Das, an analyst at Kpler, told AFP 'there's a lot of Iranian oil still on the water as floating storage.
18 Articles
18 Articles
Iran’s “shadow fleet” spotted near Singapore covert oil transfers surge during ceasefire
Iran’s “shadow fleet” spotted near Singapore covert oil transfers surge during ceasefire Satellite imagery reveals a large network of aging oil tankers nearly 400 vessels operating near Southeast Asia, conducting ship-to-ship (STS) transfers to mask the origin of Iranian crude. The activity is concentrated about 100 km southeast of the Malay Peninsula, where sanctioned and […] The post Iran’s “shadow fleet” spotted near Singapore covert oil …
'It's really the main hub': Iran's shadow oil trade endures near Singapore despite war
Paris (France), 16 Apr 2026 (AFP) – Near Singapore, 6,000 km from the Strait of Ormuz, Iranian oil shipments continued during the war in the Middle East, a practice adopted by Tehran to circumvent international sanctions and trade with China. Nearly 400 tankers are sanctioned by [...] Read more Close to Singapore, transfers of Iranian crude oil continued during the war appeared first on MARINE & OCEANS.
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