SAMOS

During the period of the G7 and EU oil embargo and the price cap policy on russian oil and petroleum products, the tanker was involved in 2025 in the export of russian oil and petroleum products from russian ports in the Baltic Sea, mainly to India.
The vessel is affiliated with the sanctioned company The Zulu Ships Management and Operation – Sole Proprietorship LLC (UAE), which as of September 16, 2025, serves as the technical manager of the tanker IMO 9408190.
The Zulu Ships Management and Operation – Sole Proprietorship LLC (UAE) is among several companies that have played a significant role in managing and operating the tanker fleet forming part of the vast shipping empire controlled by Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani.
Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, the son of Ali Shamkhani, the chief political advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader, leverages his father’s political influence to corrupt senior Iranian regime officials in order to build and operate a massive fleet of tankers and container ships. This fleet transports oil and petroleum products from Iran and russia, as well as other cargoes, to customers worldwide, generating tens of billions of dollars in profit.
Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani’s shipping empire comprises an extensive fleet of vessels, ship management firms, and front companies that launder billions of dollars in revenue from global sales of Iranian and russian crude oil and petroleum products, primarily to buyers in the People’s Republic of China. The network takes extensive measures to conceal its operations and obscure its ties to the Shamkhani family, Iran, and russia.
Since October 24, 2025, the EU has imposed sanctions on the vessel.
Since December 13, 2025, Switzerland has imposed sanctions on the vessel.
Since December 13, 2025, Ukraine has imposed sanctions on the vessel.
On February 24, 2026, the United Kingdom imposed sanctions on the vessel.
Since March 25, 2026, Canada has imposed sanctions on the vessel.