Iran's shadow fleet rushed $6 billion of oil to China during brief US truce: Report
A report indicates that Iran exported approximately $6 billion worth of oil to China during a brief window when US sanctions were temporarily lifted. The operation utilized a 'shadow fleet' of tankers to bypass long-term monitoring and facilitate sales to private Chinese refineries.
Why it matters
This highlights the fragility of international sanctions regimes and the strategic economic cooperation between Iran and China in the energy sector.
Iran is said to have taken advantage of a roughly one-month window when the US lifted its blockade on Iranian oil to ship out crude oil worth $5 billion to $6 billion, according to estimates by United Against Nuclear Iran and oil analysts cited by The Wall Street Journal.Starting late June, about 20 Iranian tankers began arriving in the waters off the east coast of Malaysia after the US lifted its blockade of Iranian ships following the temporary agreement signed on June 17. Tehran was determined to get its pent-up oil supplies out of the country.The penultimate destination of the oil was in China. The first tanker which left from Tehran was Diona, followed by Hero II, the Sonia I, and the Stream.
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