PUYANG

The tanker has been implicated in the transportation of Iranian oil to numerous refineries in China, including conducting ship-to-ship (STS) transfers with a vessel of the sanctioned National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC) near Singapore to move tens of thousands of metric tons of Iranian crude oil.
The National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC) is a subsidiary of the sanctioned National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), which is controlled by the Iranian Ministry of Oil. NITC is responsible for transporting Iranian crude oil intended for export and plays a significant role in oil transactions that generate revenue for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps–Qods Force (IRGC-QF) and Hizballah (Hezbollah).
The tanker is affiliated with Cathay Harvest Marine Ltd (Hong Kong), which was sanctioned by the United States on October 11, 2024, under Executive Order (EO) 13846, as part of expanded restrictions on Iran’s oil and petrochemical sector, for providing material assistance, sponsorship, financial, material, or technological support, or goods or services in support of NIOC on or after November 5, 2018.
On the same date, the United States also imposed sanctions on the tanker as property in which Cathay Harvest Marine Ltd has an interest, pursuant to EO 13846.