US sanctions against Iran: With fresh measures against shadow fleets
Shadow fleets can be used to hide the origin of a commodity and thus circumvent sanctions: the ships conceal the starting point and destination of their route, as well as their cargo and the identity of the ship's owners - often shell companies. The ships are usually not insured according to Western standards and switch off the automatic identification system on board.
This is the second round of sanctions that US President Donald Trump has initiated against the Islamic Republic since taking office at the end of January. Right at the start of his second term, Trump issued a presidential decree calling on ministries and authorities to "exert maximum pressure on the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, block all paths to nuclear weapons and counter Iran's malign influence." Just days later, the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on an international network that ships Iranian oil to China.
Already in his first term in office, Trump had made his opposition to Iran clear and withdrew from the nuclear agreement in 2018. Since 2015, Iran had been promised a reduction in previously imposed sanctions in return for a purely civilian nuclear program.
The sanctions now imposed also show how difficult it is to exert real pressure in times of global trade. The shadow fleets have become increasingly important not only for Iran to circumvent sanctions, but also for Russia, which is also subject to international sanctions. According to the information portal Windward , around 2,300 tankers worldwide operate outside of official systems. According to S&P Global , around 17 percent of the global fleet of oil tankers is used to transport sanctioned oil.
Russia and Iran have been working together in the energy sector for some time, also to counter Western sanctions against both countries: According to a report in the Teheran Times, the now sanctioned Bovard met with Russia's deputy energy minister a few days ago to discuss closer cooperation. In addition, China is buying oil from Russia and Iran despite sanctions - the shadow fleet makes it possible, according to the Atlantic Council .
On Tuesday, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov travelled to Tehran. According to the news agency dpa, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi emphasised the closeness to Moscow after the meeting, including with regard to the nuclear programme: "We are having close discussions." They will also not allow themselves to be forced into negotiations by pressure: "There will be no direct negotiations between us and the USA."
The US sanctions also had an impact on the price of oil on Tuesday: Depending on the type, it rose by 15 to 23 dollar cents per barrel .
taz
