Shadow Fleet

The tanker is affiliated with the Malaysia-based IMS Ltd, which was sanctioned by USA on February 24, 2025 for knowingly engaging in a significant transaction in the purchase, acquisition, sale, transportation or marketing of crude oil/petroleum products or petrochemicals from Iran.
On February 24, 2025, USA imposed sanctions on a tanker as on the property in which the sanctioned company IMS Ltd has an interest.

The tanker was used by the oil broker Petroquimico FZE (UAE) to transport and further deliver to the UAE more than 200 thousand barrels of Iranian oil purchased from the sanctioned National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC). Iran relies on brokers outside of Iran to facilitate the sale and transportation of its crude oil to end users abroad, mainly in the UAE and China.
The tanker is affiliated with Le Monde Marine Services Limited (Liberia), which was sanctioned by USA on February 24, 2025 for its activities in the petroleum sector of the Iranian economy.
The tanker called at the russian port of Taman with oil terminals during the period of the G7 and EU oil embargo and the price cap policy on russian oil.
On February 24, 2025, USA imposed sanctions on the tanker as a property in which the sanctioned company Le Monde Marine Services Limited has an interest.

The VLCC-class tanker is involved in the transportation of multiple shipments of Iranian oil to refineries in China.
The tanker is affiliated with Green Garden Trading Ltd (Seychelles), which was sanctioned by USA on February 24, 2025 for its activities in petroleum sector of the Iranian economy
On February 24, 2025, USA imposed sanctions on the tanker as a property in which the sanctioned company Green Garden Trading Ltd has an interest.

The tanker is affiliated with the Seychelles-based company Oceanend Shipping Ltd, which was sanctioned by USA on February 24, 2025 for knowingly engaging in a significant transaction in the purchase, acquisition, sale, transportation or marketing of crude oil/petroleum products or petrochemicals from Iran.
Many tankers involved in transporting Iranian oil to countries such as China are also involved in Venezuelan trade, including tanker IMO 9181194. On June 11, 2022, Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and former Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi signed a 20-year cooperation agreement to expand ties in the oil and petrochemical industries, as well as in the military and economic spheres. Since then, bilateral ties have begun to develop. Most cargo is transported by ships belonging to the sanctioned National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC) in both directions. A significant number of ships flying under foreign (non-Iranian) flags are also involved in this trade.
On February 24, 2025, USA imposed sanctions on a tanker as on the property in which the sanctioned company Oceanend Shipping Ltd has an interest.

The tanker is involved in the transportation of Iranian crude oil and petroleum products. Many tankers involved in transporting Iranian oil to countries such as China are also involved in Venezuelan trade, including tanker IMO 9244635. On June 11, 2022, Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and former Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi signed a 20-year cooperation agreement to expand ties in the oil and petrochemical industries, as well as in the military and economic spheres. Since then, bilateral ties have begun to develop. Most cargo is transported by ships belonging to the sanctioned National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC) in both directions. A significant number of ships flying under foreign (non-Iranian) flags are also involved in this trade.
The tanker is affiliated with the India-based Austinship Management Private Limited, which was sanctioned by USA on February 24, 2025 for knowingly engaging in a significant transaction in the purchase, acquisition, sale, transportation or marketing of crude oil/petroleum products or petrochemicals from Iran.
On February 23, 2025, near Malaysia, the tanker made STS transfers with the sanctioned tanker IMO 9196644 involved in the transportation of sanctioned Iranian oil, and on February 24, 2025, with the sanctioned tanker IMO 9365764 VLCC-class involved in the transportation of numerous shipments of Iranian oil to Chinese refineries.
On February 24, 2025, USA imposed sanctions on a tanker as on the property in which the sanctioned company Austinship Management Private Limited has an interest.

The tanker is involved in the transportation of sanctioned Iranian crude oil to China worth more than $100 million on behalf of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including from storage facilities in China, which is believed to be part of an organized scheme that involves the Iranian military, which profits from the sale of Iranian oil through the vessel. The vessel resorts to deceptive, high-risk practices.
On February 06, 2025, USA imposed sanctions on the vessel.
Many tankers involved in transporting Iranian oil to countries such as China are also involved in Venezuelan trade, including tanker IMO 9237632. On June 11, 2022, Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and former Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi signed a 20-year cooperation agreement to expand ties in the oil and petrochemical industries, as well as in the military and economic spheres. Since then, bilateral ties have begun to develop. Most cargo is transported by ships belonging to the sanctioned National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC) in both directions. A significant number of ships flying under foreign (non-Iranian) flags are also involved in this trade.

The tanker is affiliated with the Vietnamese company Sao Viet Petrol Transportation Company Limited, which was sanctioned by USA on January 10, 2025 for its activities in the energy sector of the russian economy.
The vessel is involved in the transportation of Iranian goods.
On January 10, 2025, USA imposed sanctions on a vessel considered to be part of the shadow fleet as a property in which Sao Viet Petrol Transportation Company Limited has an interest.
According to GISIS IMO, as of early July 2025, the vessel's flag is marked as "Guinea False".

A VLCC-type tanker with a deadweight of almost 310,000 DWT is involved in the STS transshipment of sanctioned russian oil/oil products, in particular, in the waters of the Mid-Atlantic, hundreds of nautical miles from the coast. This high-risk, environmentally hazardous practice with russian oil is that tankers consolidate (receive via STS) oil cargoes from Aframax tankers loaded in russian ports in the Baltic and Black Seas to larger tankers bound mainly for China.
As of January 1, 2025, the beneficial owner of the vessel is SUNNE CO LIMITED, which was sanctioned by USA on January 10, 2025 for its activities in the energy sector of the russian federation. SUNNE CO LIMITED is affiliated with a tanker fleet that is considered part of the shadow fleet.
On January 10, 2025, USA imposed sanctions on the vessel as a property in which SUNNE CO LIMITED has an interest.

The tanker (VLCC class) has been involved in the transportation of sanctioned Iranian oil, in particular, to China since at least 2020, and shipment of Iranian crude oil in the interests of the sanctioned China Concord Petroleum Company, which was sanctioned by USA at the end of 2019 for violating restrictions on processing and transactions with Iranian oil, as well as the sanctioned National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), which is one of the largest oil and gas companies in the world and is controlled by the Iranian Ministry of Oil. Iran relies on an extensive network of tankers and ship management companies in many jurisdictions to transport its oil to consumers, using deceptive tactics (falsification of documentation, manipulation of ship tracking systems, constant changes of ship names and flags).
The tanker is affiliated with Yurimaguas Ltd, a company registered in the Marshall Islands, which was sanctioned by USA on December 03, 2024 for its activities in the oil sector of the Iranian economy.
On December 03, 2024, USA imposed sanctions on the tanker.
According to GISIS IMO data, as of July 16, 2025, the vessel's registered name is YURI, and the flag is designated as "Eswatini False". At the same time, the vessel sails under the name COBA, the flag of Curacao.

The tanker (VLCC class) is engaged in the illegal transportation of hundreds of thousands of metric tons of sanctioned Iranian oil on behalf of the sanctioned National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), which is one of the largest oil and gas companies in the world and is controlled by the Iranian Ministry of Oil, and the sanctioned China Concord Petroleum Company, which was sanctioned by USA in late 2019 for violating restrictions on the handling and transaction of Iranian oil. Iran relies on an extensive network of tankers and ship management companies in many jurisdictions to transport its oil to consumers, using deceptive tactics (falsification of documentation, manipulation of ship tracking systems, constant changes of names and flags of vessels).
The tanker is affiliated with Shanghai Future Ship Management Co Ltd (China), which was sanctioned by USA on December 03, 2024 for its activities in the oil sector of the Iranian economy.
On December 03, 2024, USA imposed sanctions on the tanker.
Many tankers involved in transporting Iranian oil to countries such as China are involved in Venezuelan trade, including tanker IMO 9326055.
In March 2025, the US imposed a 25% tariff on countries importing Venezuelan oil. As part of Operation Southern Spear in December 2025, the US imposed a blockade on sanctioned oil tankers entering/leaving Venezuelan ports. As part of the blockade, the US detained several tankers off the coast of Venezuela in December 2025 and early January 2026. At the same time, at least 16 tankers left Venezuelan waters in an attempt to avoid the naval blockade by the US Navy. The vessels, most of which were loaded with Venezuelan crude oil/petroleum products, left Venezuelan territorial waters with their AIS signals turned off, falsifying their coordinates to conceal their actual location. Among the 16 tankers, 15 vessels are under sanctions for transporting Iranian and russian crude oil/petroleum products.
According to satellite images, tanker IMO 9326055 was tracked about 30 miles off the coast of Venezuela. The vessel used the name "DS Vector" (IMO 9203289, which was scrapped in 2018) and transmitted a false AIS signal, creating the illusion of its presence near the West African coast. The tanker likely loaded Venezuelan oil in circumvention of US sanctions and left Venezuela's main oil terminal, Puerto Jose, heading northeast.

The tanker has been involved in the transportation of sanctioned Iranian oil, in particular to China, since at least 2020. Iran relies on an extensive network of tankers and ship management companies in many jurisdictions to transport its oil to consumers, using deceptive tactics (falsification of documentation, manipulation of ship tracking systems, constant changes of ship names and flags).
The tanker is affiliated with Yurimaguas Ltd, a company registered in the Marshall Islands, which was sanctioned by USA on December 03, 2024 for its activities in the oil sector of the Iranian economy.
On December 03, 2024, USA imposed sanctions on the tanker.

The tanker is involved in skirting sanctions on oil transportation for Iran.
On December 03, 2024, USA imposed sanctions on the vessel.