Malaysia says Iranian oil transfers near its waters exploit a maritime loophole
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia ‘s maritime agency says Iranian-linked tankers are exploiting “jurisdictional gaps” to conduct ship-to-ship transfers of sanctioned oil near its waters, rejecting allegations that authorities ignored a long-running trade allowing Iran to evade US sanctions.
US based advocacy group United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) and shipping industry observers say waters near Malaysia’s southern Johor state have become a key hub for ship-to-ship transfers involving Iran’s “shadow fleet”, aging tankers that often operate with disabled tracking systems, false identities and opaque ownership structures to conceal the origins of crude bound largely for China.
