Latest news with #ProliferationSecurityInitiative
Gulf Insider
08-03-2025
- Business
- Gulf Insider
US Considers Plan To Disrupt Iran's Oil With Navy Interventions On High Seas
The Trump White House is currently considering a plan that would take the recently reinstated 'maximum pressure' campaign back to the high seas, akin to Trump's first term as Commander-in-Chief. This would involve US Navy ships stopping and inspecting Iranian oil vessels transiting the sea under an international mechanism aimed at thwarting 'spread of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs),' sources in Reuters said. This had been done at times under Biden as well. The idea is to crack down once again on Iranian oil sales in order to cut off crucial funding for Iran's nuclear energy program, which both Israel and Washington suspect could easily be converted to an atomic weapons program. 'Trump officials are now looking at ways for allied countries to stop and inspect ships sailing through critical chokepoints such as the Malacca Strait in Asia and other sea lanes. That would delay delivery of crude to refiners. It could also expose parties involved in facilitating the trade to reputational damage and sanctions,' the sources told Reuters. 'You don't have to sink ships or arrest people to have that chilling effect that this is just not worth the risk. The delay in delivery… instills uncertainty in that illicit trade network,' one source clarified. The legal mechanism reportedly being examined goes all the way back the 'war on terror' 2003 Proliferation Security Initiative, which seeks to prevent the trafficking of WMDs. (Nevermind that the Bush-era 'Iraqi WMDs' scare was based on a complete myth and lie advanced by the NeoCons at the time). 'This mechanism could enable foreign governments to target Iran's oil shipments at Washington's request,' another source told Reuters . The Biden administration had at times also sought to seize Iranian oil shipments, especially to disrupt sales in places like China, or also Syria. Click here to read more…
Shafaq News
06-03-2025
- Business
- Shafaq News
US considers global push to block Iranian oil shipments
Shafaq News/ The United States is weighing a proposal to halt and search Iranian oil tankers at sea as part of an international framework. The US president, Donald Trump, has pledged to reinstate his " maximum pressure" campaign to isolate Iran from the global economy and reduce its oil exports to zero in a bid to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons, according to a report by Reuters. Since the start of his second term, the administration has imposed two new rounds of sanctions targeting Iranian companies and the so-called "shadow fleet" of aging tankers that operate without Western insurance and transport crude from sanctioned countries. These efforts align closely with limited measures taken by former President Joe Biden's administration, during which Iran managed to increase its oil exports through complex smuggling networks, the report added. According to six sources who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, Trump officials are exploring options to enable 'allied nations to stop and inspect' vessels transiting key chokepoints, such as the Strait of Malacca in Asia and other major shipping lanes. The sources said such actions could delay crude deliveries to refineries and damage the reputations of those facilitating the trade, potentially exposing them to sanctions. "You don't have to sink ships or arrest people to have that chilling effect that this is just not worth the risk. The delay in delivery ... instills uncertainty in that illicit trade network,' a source told Reuters. The administration is studying whether such maritime inspections could take place under the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI), launched in 2003 to curb the trafficking of weapons of mass destruction. Another source noted that the mechanism could allow foreign governments, at Washington's request, to target Iranian oil shipments, effectively delaying deliveries and disrupting the supply chains Tehran relies on for revenue. However, two sources added that the National Security Council, which shapes White House policy, is currently reviewing the feasibility of such at-sea inspections.
Asharq Al-Awsat
06-03-2025
- Business
- Asharq Al-Awsat
US Mulls Plan to Disrupt Iran's Oil by Halting Vessels at Sea
US President Donald Trump's administration is considering a plan to stop and inspect Iranian oil tankers at sea under an international accord aimed at countering the spread of weapons of mass destruction, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. Trump has vowed to restore a "maximum pressure" campaign to isolate Iran from the global economy and drive its oil exports to zero, in order to stop the country from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Trump hit Iran with two waves of fresh sanctions in the first weeks of his second-term, targeting companies and the so-called shadow fleet of ageing oil tankers that sail without Western insurance and transport crude from sanctioned countries. Those moves have largely been in line with the limited measures implemented during former President Joe Biden's administration, during which Iran succeeded in ramping up oil exports through complex smuggling networks. Trump officials are now looking at ways for allied countries to stop and inspect ships sailing through critical chokepoints such as the Malacca Strait in Asia and other sea lanes, according to six sources who asked not to be named due to the sensitive subject. That would delay delivery of crude to refiners. It could also expose parties involved in facilitating the trade to reputational damage and sanctions, the sources said. "You don't have to sink ships or arrest people to have that chilling effect that this is just not worth the risk," one of the sources said. "The delay in delivery ... instills uncertainty in that illicit trade network." The administration was examining whether inspections at sea could be conducted under the auspices of the Proliferation Security Initiative launched in 2003, which aims to prevent the trafficking of weapons of mass destruction. The US drove that initiative, which has been signed by over 100 governments. This mechanism could enable foreign governments to target Iran's oil shipments at Washington's request, one of the sources said, effectively delaying deliveries and hitting supply chains Tehran relies upon for revenue. The National Security Council, which formulates policy in the White House, was looking into possible inspections at sea, two of the sources said. It was unclear if Washington had yet approached any signatories to the Proliferation Security Initiative to test their willingness to cooperate with the proposal. John Bolton, who was the US lead negotiator for the initiative when it was formed, told Reuters: "it would be fully justified" to use the initiative to slow down Iran oil exports. He noted that selling oil was "obviously critical to raise revenue for the government of Iran to conduct both its proliferation activities and support for terrorism." Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told Iran's parliament on March 2 that Trump "has once again signed an order sanctioning many of our ships at sea, leaving them uncertain about how to unload their oil and gas cargo". He was referring to Trump's latest round of sanctions.
Al Arabiya
06-03-2025
- Business
- Al Arabiya
US mulls plan to disrupt Iran's oil by halting vessels at sea
President Donald Trump's administration is considering a plan to stop and inspect Iranian oil tankers at sea under an international accord aimed at countering the spread of weapons of mass destruction, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. Trump has vowed to restore a 'maximum pressure' campaign to isolate Iran from the global economy and drive its oil exports to zero, in order to stop the country from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Trump hit Iran with two waves of fresh sanctions in the first weeks of his second-term, targeting companies and the so-called shadow fleet of ageing oil tankers that sail without Western insurance and transport crude from sanctioned countries. Those moves have largely been in line with the limited measures implemented during former president Joe Biden's administration, during which Iran succeeded in ramping up oil exports through complex smuggling networks. Trump officials are now looking at ways for allied countries to stop and inspect ships sailing through critical chokepoints such as the Malacca Strait in Asia and other sea lanes, according to six sources who asked not to be named due to the sensitive subject. That would delay delivery of crude to refiners. It could also expose parties involved in facilitating the trade to reputational damage and sanctions, the sources said. 'You don't have to sink ships or arrest people to have that chilling effect that this is just not worth the risk,' one of the sources said. 'The delay in delivery ... instills uncertainty in that illicit trade network.' The administration was examining whether inspections at sea could be conducted under the auspices of the Proliferation Security Initiative launched in 2003, which aims to prevent the trafficking of weapons of mass destruction. The US drove that initiative, which has been signed by over 100 governments. This mechanism could enable foreign governments to target Iran's oil shipments at Washington's request, one of the sources said, effectively delaying deliveries and hitting supply chains Tehran relies upon for revenue. The National Security Council, which formulates policy in the White House, was looking into possible inspections at sea, two of the sources said. It was unclear if Washington had yet approached any signatories to the Proliferation Security Initiative to test their willingness to cooperate with the proposal. John Bolton, who was the US lead negotiator for the initiative when it was formed, told Reuters 'it would be fully justified' to use the initiative to slow down Iran oil exports. He noted that selling oil was 'obviously critical to raise revenue for the government of Iran to conduct both its proliferation activities and support for terrorism.' The White House National Security Council did not respond to requests for comment. Iran's oil and foreign ministries did not respond to separate requests for comment. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told Iran's parliament on March 2 that Trump 'has once again signed an order sanctioning many of our ships at sea, leaving them uncertain about how to unload their oil and gas cargo.' He was referring to Trump's latest round of sanctions. Potential blowback Previous attempts to seize Iranian oil cargoes have triggered retaliation by Iran. The US tried to interdict at least two cargoes of Iranian oil in 2023, under Biden. This prompted Iran to seize foreign ships – including one chartered by Chevron Corp, which sent crude prices higher. The current low oil price environment gives Trump more options to block Iranian oil flows, from sanctions on tanker companies to seizing ships, according to Ben Cahill, an energy analyst at the Center for Energy and Environmental Systems at the University of Texas. 'I think if prices stay below $75 a barrel, the White House has more latitude to look at sanctions that would affect, you know, supply from Iran and other countries. It would be much harder to do this in a $92 per barrel environment,' Cahill said. Aggressive US action could cut Iran exports by some 750,000 barrels per day in the short term, he said, but the longer the sanctions are in place, the less effective they are as Iran and buyers figure out ways around them. A speedy resumption of oil exports from Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region would help offset any fall in Iranian exports. Reuters previously reported that the White House is piling pressure on Iraq to allow Kurdish oil exports to restart or face sanctions alongside Iran. Despite US sanctions in recent years, Tehran's oil exports brought in $53 billion in 2023 and $54 billion a year earlier, largely in trades with China, according to US Energy Information Administration estimates. Iran relies on oil exports to China for vital revenue. Russia, which faces restrictions on oil exports and broader Western sanctions, is similarly focused on shipping oil to buyers in China and India. Finland and other Nordic countries have warned in recent months of the dangers of ships sailing close to their shores and the environmental risks they pose to their shores in oil spills if there is an accident. While European countries have spoken about inspections of ships transporting Russian oil suspected of not having valid insurance, little action has been taken and none mooted for vessels hauling Iranian oil.
Zawya
06-03-2025
- Business
- Zawya
US mulls plan to disrupt Iran's oil by halting vessels at sea
President Donald Trump's administration is considering a plan to stop and inspect Iranian oil tankers at sea under an international accord aimed at countering the spread of weapons of mass destruction, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. Trump has vowed to restore a "maximum pressure" campaign to isolate Iran from the global economy and drive its oil exports to zero, in order to stop the country from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Trump hit Iran with two waves of fresh sanctions in the first weeks of his second-term, targeting companies and the so-called shadow fleet of ageing oil tankers that sail without Western insurance and transport crude from sanctioned countries. Those moves have largely been in line with the limited measures implemented during former President Joe Biden's administration, during which Iran succeeded in ramping up oil exports through complex smuggling networks. Trump officials are now looking at ways for allied countries to stop and inspect ships sailing through critical chokepoints such as the Malacca Strait in Asia and other sea lanes, according to six sources who asked not to be named due to the sensitive subject. That would delay delivery of crude to refiners. It could also expose parties involved in facilitating the trade to reputational damage and sanctions, the sources said. "You don't have to sink ships or arrest people to have that chilling effect that this is just not worth the risk," one of the sources said. "The delay in delivery ... instills uncertainty in that illicit trade network." The administration was examining whether inspections at sea could be conducted under the auspices of the Proliferation Security Initiative launched in 2003, which aims to prevent the trafficking of weapons of mass destruction. The U.S. drove that initiative, which has been signed by over 100 governments. This mechanism could enable foreign governments to target Iran's oil shipments at Washington's request, one of the sources said, effectively delaying deliveries and hitting supply chains Tehran relies upon for revenue. The National Security Council, which formulates policy in the White House, was looking into possible inspections at sea, two of the sources said. It was unclear if Washington had yet approached any signatories to the Proliferation Security Initiative to test their willingness to cooperate with the proposal. John Bolton, who was the U.S. lead negotiator for the initiative when it was formed, told Reuters: "it would be fully justified" to use the initiative to slow down Iran oil exports. He noted that selling oil was "obviously critical to raise revenue for the government of Iran to conduct both its proliferation activities and support for terrorism." The White House National Security Council did not respond to requests for comment. Iran's oil and foreign ministries did not respond to separate requests for comment. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told Iran's parliament on March 2 that Trump "has once again signed an order sanctioning many of our ships at sea, leaving them uncertain about how to unload their oil and gas cargo". He was referring to Trump's latest round of sanctions. POTENTIAL BLOWBACK Previous attempts to seize Iranian oil cargoes have triggered retaliation by Iran. The U.S. tried to interdict at least two cargoes of Iranian oil in 2023, under Biden. This prompted Iran to seize foreign ships - including one chartered by Chevron Corp, which sent crude prices higher. The current low oil price environment gives Trump more options to block Iranian oil flows, from sanctions on tanker companies to seizing ships, according to Ben Cahill, an energy analyst at the Center for Energy and Environmental Systems at the University of Texas. "I think if prices stay below $75 a barrel, the White House has more latitude to look at sanctions that would affect, you know, supply from Iran and other countries. It would be much harder to do this in a $92 per barrel environment," Cahill said. Aggressive U.S. action could cut Iran exports by some 750,000 barrels per day in the short term, he said, but the longer the sanctions are in place, the less effective they are as Iran and buyers figure out ways around them. A speedy resumption of oil exports from Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region would help offset any fall in Iranian exports. Reuters previously reported that the White House is piling pressure on Iraq to allow Kurdish oil exports to restart or face sanctions alongside Iran. Despite U.S. sanctions in recent years, Tehran's oil exports brought in $53 billion in 2023 and $54 billion a year earlier, largely in trades with China, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates. Iran relies on oil exports to China for vital revenue. Russia, which faces restrictions on oil exports and broader Western sanctions, is similarly focused on shipping oil to buyers in China and India. Finland and other Nordic countries have warned in recent months of the dangers of ships sailing close to their shores and the environmental risks they pose to their shores in oil spills if there is an accident. While European countries have spoken about inspections of ships transporting Russian oil suspected of not having valid insurance, little action has been taken and none mooted for vessels hauling Iranian oil. (Reporting By Jonathan Saul in London, Jarrett Renshaw in Washington, additional reporting by Timothy Gardner in Washington and Parisa Hafezi in Dubai, editing by Richard Valdmanis and David Gregorio)
