Israel Matzav

Tanzania deflagging Iranian ships

Tanzania is deflagging 36 Iranian ships that were reflagged with its flag via the semi-autonomous territory of Zanzibar. The reflagging was done in order for Iran to evade US and European sanctions against Iranian oil imports.

The National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC) changed the names and flags of many of its oil tankers ahead of the EU ban, part of sweeping economic measures aimed at pressuring Tehran to end its nuclear program.

The ships flying Tanzania's flag were re-flagged by Zanzibar, which has claimed it was misled by its Dubai-based agent, Philtex, and would end its contract with that firm.

"The government has thoroughly investigated this issue and established that the Zanzibar Maritime Authority (ZMA) through our Dubai-based agent, Philtex, registered 36 Iranian crude oil tankers and container ship vessels to fly the Tanzanian flag," Zanzibar Vice President Seif Ali Iddi told the assembly.

"The Zanzibar government is in the process of de-registering the ships and also terminating its agency contract with Philtex after establishing the truth that these (Iranian) ships are flying the Tanzanian flag."

Tanzanian could have faced US sanctions if it were complicit in the reflagging.

Labels: Iran sanctions regime, Iranian nuclear threat

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:36 AM