China uses a “dark fleet” to buy oil from Iran and evade US sanctions in international waters

CBS news revealed that China He continues to secretly buy Iranian oil and evade US sanctions using what is known as the “dark fleet” to transport oil from the ship to the middle of the sea.

Over the years, the United States has implemented severe sanctions on Iranian industries, including an attempt to stop the tankers used to transport Iranian oil to China, which can help finance Iranian nuclear development programs. On Wednesday, the Treasury has imposed additional sanctions, which Washington described as the most comprehensive procedures of its kind since 2018.

Recently, the CBS News crew launched from Singapore, one of the most crowded shipping ports in the world, to head more than 80 nautical miles in international waters to see how the “dark fleet” works.

“As long as there is an offer, there will be a demand for this reduced oil,” said Charlie Brown, a former US navy officer who is now a major adviser to United against Iran’s nuclear Iran.

the offer IranThe demand is China, and this is the useful relationship of the two parties, which has long angered the United States, playing off the coast of Malaysia in the Riau archipelago, a region of the size of New York City.

“This is a” dark fleet “for central cars,” said Brown, who was watching the “Dark Fleet” for years.

He described one ship, Tifani, as a “well -known dark fleet carrier” that has always been here on a regular basis. “

The tankers, full of oil, sailing from the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Malaga to the Rio Archipelago. There, they transport crude to ships heading to China, which buys 90 % of Iran’s oil.

During the CBS News Crew trip, there were four transfers from the ship to ships that occur in the sight of the horizon.

It is clear that the “dark fleet” tankers – all of this while turning off their respondents – does not want to determine them.

Brown said: “Both ships have a network or something like that, or hemp fabric, it was published on the back, and the name and the identification number are covered – it is a clear deceptive practice,” said Brown.

The additional analysis revealed one ship that the stellar stars were far -reaching, loaded with Iranian oil. It was placed on the US sanctions list in May.

Close to that, there was another transfer from the ship to the ships, where it included the Alps-not its real name-full of Iranian crude, which was also punished in May. The recipient ship, which is not listed in any list, was arrested in the law – violating new penalties.

According to the Congress report last year, this trade generated up to $ 70 billion to Iran, support the regime and the nuclear weapons program. The Trump administration has imposed multiple rounds of sanctions on this trade this year, but it has little impact. China does not recognize US sanctions unilaterally against Iran and says its trade with Iran is legitimate.

By the end of the day, 12 transport operations from the ship were recorded to the ships in the Riau-an archipelago, which is an unprecedented number and a clear indication of Iran and China only intensifying this illegal activity.