SIMBA

The vessel is part of a vast shipping empire controlled by Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, the son of Ali Shamkhani, the chief political advisor to iran’s supreme leader. Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani 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. His shipping network comprises a vast fleet of vessels, ship management companies, and front entities that launder billions of dollars in proceeds from global sales of iranian and russian crude oil and petroleum products, mostly 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.
The vessel IMO 9719862 is affiliated with the sanctioned company Draco Buren Shipping Pte Ltd (Singapore). Draco Buren Shipping Pte Ltd is one of numerous shipping companies established to manage the fleet of Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani's network. The vessel IMO 9719862 is also linked to the sanctioned company Marvise SMC DMCC (UAE). Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani manages the illegal activities of the shipping empire through various companies, including Marvise SMC DMCC, formerly known as Mairin Ship Management and Consultancy DMCC. This company provides management services to many of Hossein's shipping companies and secretly controls a fleet of dozens of vessels registered as the property of many other companies. Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani personally controls the activities of Marvise SMC DMCC in Tehran, Iran.
On July 30, 2025, the United States imposed sanctions on the vessel IMO 9719862.