Latest news with #US-sanctioned
The Star
5 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Oil tankers going dark off Malaysia as Iran trade draws scrutiny
SOUTH-EAST ASIA (Bloomberg): Tankers involved in a vital hub of the Iran-to-China oil trade are disappearing from digital tracking systems, as the threat of US sanctions forces tactical changes to keep crude flowing. Over recent months, more vessels have started switching off their transponders as they near waters off eastern Malaysia, a hotspot for the transfer of Iranian oil from one to ship to another for transport to China. Previously, systems were rarely disabled, signaling when tankers anchored next to each other. While the tactic of going dark is not new, it's being used more regularly off Malaysia to avoid scrutiny. The White House says the Iranian oil trade generates revenue that supports Tehran-backed militia groups including Hamas, and has sought to hobble flows through sanctions on ships, ports and refiners. "Ship-to-ship transfers have been used to mask the origin of those cargoes,' said Muyu Xu, a senior crude oil analyst at Kpler in Singapore. "Now they're switching signals off for longer, so that it's now even harder trace those flows back to the source, which is Iran.' A recent example is the Vani, an unsanctioned very large crude carrier that was built in 2004 and has the capacity to carry 2 million barrels. The empty vessel signaled its position off eastern Malaysia on May 15, before going dark then and reappearing fully laden in the region five days later, according to ship-tracking compiled by Bloomberg. While Vani was missing from digital tracking systems, the tanker conducted a ship-to-ship transfer on May 18 with the Nora, a US-sanctioned vessel that had collected Iranian crude from the Kharg Island export terminal, according to Kpler and Vortexa. Vani is now signaling Qingdao in China as its destination, data from the two analytics companies show. Avani Lines Inc., based in the Marshall Islands and the registered owner of Vani, doesn't have a listed phone number or email address for contact on the Maritime Portal run by S&P Global Inc. China's independent refiners are the biggest buyers of Iranian crude, attracted to the discounted barrels because they help buffer typically razor thin margins. While official Chinese data shows the nation hasn't imported oil from the OPEC producer since 2022, third-party figures signal robust flows. China imported around 1.46 million barrels a day from Iran last month, down from a five-month high in March, according to Kpler. Flows started to slip late last year but have since recovered. Other methods being used to keep the Iran-to-China trade in business include the use of zombie ships - vessels that take on the identities of scrapped tankers to appear legitimate. In April, at least six ship-to-ship transfers off Malaysia were conducted with vessels that had disabled their transponders, including one with the Celine, a US-sanctioned ship, that had loaded Iranian oil from Kharg Island, according to Kpler. In the same month last year, only one tanker went dark. Ships can be identified conducting oil transfers by analyzing satellite imagery, but the process is labor intensive and picture quality depends on the weather. It requires matching tankers to photos of vessels with known identities, a method that needs more time and can be prone to human error. "It's getting more and more difficult to track those sanctioned flows,' Emma Li, senior market analyst at intelligence firm Vortexa Ltd., said during a client presentation in Singapore in early April attended by Bloomberg News. -- ©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
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Business Standard
5 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
Oil tankers going dark off Malaysia amid Iran-China trade scrutiny
Tankers involved in a vital hub of the Iran-to-China oil trade are disappearing from digital tracking systems, as the threat of US sanctions forces tactical changes to keep crude flowing. Over recent months, more vessels have started switching off their transponders as they near waters off eastern Malaysia, a hotspot for the transfer of Iranian oil from one to ship to another for transport to China. Previously, systems were rarely disabled, signaling when tankers anchored next to each other. While the tactic of going dark is not new, it's being used more regularly off Malaysia to avoid scrutiny. The White House says the Iranian oil trade generates revenue that supports Tehran-backed militia groups including Hamas, and has sought to hobble flows through sanctions on ships, ports and refiners. A recent example is the Vani, an unsanctioned very large crude carrier that was built in 2004 and has the capacity to carry 2 million barrels. The empty vessel signaled its position off eastern Malaysia on May 15, before going dark then and reappearing fully laden in the region five days later, according to ship-tracking compiled by Bloomberg. While Vani was missing from digital tracking systems, the tanker conducted a ship-to-ship transfer on May 18 with the Nora, a US-sanctioned vessel that had collected Iranian crude from the Kharg Island export terminal, according to Kpler and Vortexa. Vani is now signaling Qingdao in China as its destination, data from the two analytics companies show. Avani Lines Inc., based in the Marshall Islands and the registered owner of Vani, doesn't have a listed phone number or email address for contact on the Maritime Portal run by S&P Global Inc. China's independent refiners are the biggest buyers of Iranian crude, attracted to the discounted barrels because they help buffer typically razor thin margins. While official Chinese data shows the nation hasn't imported oil from the OPEC producer since 2022, third-party figures signal robust flows. China imported around 1.46 million barrels a day from Iran last month, down from a five-month high in March, according to Kpler. Flows started to slip late last year but have since recovered. Other methods being used to keep the Iran-to-China trade in business include the use of zombie ships — vessels that take on the identities of scrapped tankers to appear legitimate. In April, at least six ship-to-ship transfers off Malaysia were conducted with vessels that had disabled their transponders, including one with the Celine, a US-sanctioned ship, that had loaded Iranian oil from Kharg Island, according to Kpler. In the same month last year, only one tanker went dark. Ships can be identified conducting oil transfers by analyzing satellite imagery, but the process is labor intensive and picture quality depends on the weather. It requires matching tankers to photos of vessels with known identities, a method that needs more time and can be prone to human error. 'It's getting more and more difficult to track those sanctioned flows,' Emma Li, senior market analyst at intelligence firm Vortexa Ltd., said during a client presentation in Singapore in early April attended by Bloomberg News.
Malaysian Reserve
5 days ago
- Business
- Malaysian Reserve
Oil tankers going dark off Malaysia as Iran trade draws scrutiny
TANKERS involved in a vital hub of the Iran-to-China oil trade are disappearing from digital tracking systems, as the threat of US sanctions forces tactical changes to keep crude flowing. Over recent months, more vessels have started switching off their transponders as they near waters off eastern Malaysia, a hotspot for the transfer of Iranian oil from one to ship to another for transport to China. Previously, systems were rarely disabled, signaling when tankers anchored next to each other. While the tactic of going dark is not new, it's being used more regularly off Malaysia to avoid scrutiny. The White House says the Iranian oil trade generates revenue that supports Tehran-backed militia groups including Hamas, and has sought to hobble flows through sanctions on ships, ports and refiners. 'Ship-to-ship transfers have been used to mask the origin of those cargoes,' said Muyu Xu, a senior crude oil analyst at Kpler in Singapore. 'Now they're switching signals off for longer, so that it's now even harder trace those flows back to the source, which is Iran.' A recent example is the Vani, an unsanctioned very large crude carrier that was built in 2004 and has the capacity to carry 2 million barrels. The empty vessel signaled its position off eastern Malaysia on May 15, before going dark then and reappearing fully laden in the region five days later, according to ship-tracking compiled by Bloomberg. While Vani was missing from digital tracking systems, the tanker conducted a ship-to-ship transfer on May 18 with the Nora, a US-sanctioned vessel that had collected Iranian crude from the Kharg Island export terminal, according to Kpler and Vortexa. Vani is now signaling Qingdao in China as its destination, data from the two analytics companies show. Avani Lines Inc., based in the Marshall Islands and the registered owner of Vani, doesn't have a listed phone number or email address for contact on the Maritime Portal run by S&P Global Inc. China's independent refiners are the biggest buyers of Iranian crude, attracted to the discounted barrels because they help buffer typically razor thin margins. While official Chinese data shows the nation hasn't imported oil from the OPEC producer since 2022, third-party figures signal robust flows. China imported around 1.46 million barrels a day from Iran last month, down from a five-month high in March, according to Kpler. Flows started to slip late last year but have since recovered. Other methods being used to keep the Iran-to-China trade in business include the use of zombie ships — vessels that take on the identities of scrapped tankers to appear legitimate. In April, at least six ship-to-ship transfers off Malaysia were conducted with vessels that had disabled their transponders, including one with the Celine, a US-sanctioned ship, that had loaded Iranian oil from Kharg Island, according to Kpler. In the same month last year, only one tanker went dark. Ships can be identified conducting oil transfers by analyzing satellite imagery, but the process is labor intensive and picture quality depends on the weather. It requires matching tankers to photos of vessels with known identities, a method that needs more time and can be prone to human error. 'It's getting more and more difficult to track those sanctioned flows,' Emma Li, senior market analyst at intelligence firm Vortexa Ltd., said during a client presentation in Singapore in early April attended by Bloomberg News. –BLOOMBERG
NDTV
23-05-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Harvard University's 'Links' To China, Iran Triggers US National Security Concerns
Washington DC: As the US government's crackdown on Harvard University intensifies, links to China and Iran have emerged, raising national security concerns in the United States. The premier university is being investigated by the House Select Committee on China as well as the House Committee on Education and Workforce for its links to groups affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party and research groups being aided by Iran. Harvard University is facing charges of partnering with foreign adversaries and collaborating with entities implicated in human rights abuses. The charges are grave. A letter by has been sent by the House committees to Harvard University and its President Alan Garber seeking transparency and accountability over its "partnerships and activities that raise serious national security and ethical concerns". CHINA AND IRAN LINKS Some of the concerns listed in the letter include: Harvard University's collaboration with Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps or XPCC, wherein the Ivy league university would "train and prepare" members of the XPCC - a US-sanctioned paramilitary group that "plays a central role in the Chinese Communist Party's genocide of Uyghur Muslims". Harvard hosted the XPCC at least four times after the US government had sanctioned the paramilitary group over its "genocide against Uyghurs". Harvard University's research wing, funded by the US Department of Defence, forging partnerships with "Chinese military-linked universities, including Tsinghua, Zhejiang, and Huazhong Universities" without consent of the US government. The ongoing joint investigation has revealed that "China's Tsinghua University actively conducts defense research for China's People's Liberation Army and has been implicated in cyber-attacks against the United States." It also found that Zhejiang University has been involved in "economic and cyber espionage" against the US, while Huazhong University, with which Harvard worked on projects based on artificial intelligence, microelectronics, and quantum science, has close ties to China's PLA. Harvard University's collaborations with "Iranian-government-funded researchers" working directly with Tehran. This includes projects "financed by the Iranian National Science Foundation", whose primary focus is on funding scientific research and development across various fields, including nuclear technology. Harvard University's tie-ups with "organ transplantation research involving China-based collaborators". This comes amid "mounting evidence of the Chinese Communist Party's forced organ harvesting practices". WHAT THE INVESTIGATING TEAM SAID In the letter to Harvard President, House Select Committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar wrote, "Harvard trained members of a sanctioned Chinese paramilitary group responsible for genocide, and its researchers partnered with Chinese military universities on DoD-funded research and worked with researchers funded by the Iranian regime." "These are not isolated incidents - they represent a disturbing pattern that puts U.S. national security at risk. The Select Committee's investigation will deliver answers, expose the truth, and hold Harvard accountable to the American people," the Republican Congressman added. Tim Walburg, Chairperson of the House Committee on Education and Workforce, wrote, "No American university or college should be assisting the Chinese Communist Party in expanding its influence, oppressing American citizens, or undermining US national security. Unfortunately, we have found several instances in which Harvard University aided and even collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party – including helping Chinese researchers on military projects funded by the Iranian government. This is unacceptable and Harvard President Garber needs to provide answers to Congress for this colossal failure." Harvard University has been given till June 2, 2025 to submit all internal documents, communications, and testimonies from Harvard officials who have been made part of the investigation. ACTIONS BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY The US Department of Homeland Security has also stepped in, stopping the enrollment of foreign students and student exchange programmes at Harvard University due to its "pro-terrorist conduct". A statement by the Department of Homeland Security said, "Harvard is being held accountable for collaboration with the CCP, fostering violence, antisemitism, and pro-terrorist conduct from students on its campus." It further stated that "Harvard's leadership has created an unsafe campus environment by permitting anti-American, pro-terrorist agitators to harass and physically assault individuals, including many Jewish students, and otherwise obstruct its once-venerable learning environment." The US Government is "holding Harvard accountable for fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus," said Secretary Kristi Noem. WHAT HARVARD UNIVERSITY SAID Meanwhile, Harvard University has called the US Government's move to ban foreign students as "unlawful". In a statement, Harvard spokesperson Jason Newton said, "We are fully committed to maintaining Harvard's ability to host international students and scholars, who hail from more than 140 countries and enrich the University - and this nation - immeasurably. We are working quickly to provide guidance and support to members of our community. This retaliatory action threatens serious harm to the Harvard community and our country, and undermines Harvard's academic and research mission." The Ivy league university however, has not said anything about the charges it faces about its links to China, its military, the Iranian government, and what the Homeland Security labelled "pro-terrorist conduct".
Kuwait Times
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Kuwait Times
Ex-Ukraine MP shot dead near Madrid
POZUELO DE ALACRON, Spain: A picture taken on May 21, 2025 shows the body of ex-Ukraine MP Andrey (Andriy) Portnov after he was shot dead in front of his children school in Pozuelo de Alarcon, near Madrid. — AFP POZUELO DE ALACRON, Spain: A US-sanctioned Ukrainian ex-MP and senior aide to the country's former pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovych was shot dead near Madrid on Wednesday, a Spanish police source told AFP. Officers rushed to the upmarket town of Pozuelo de Alarcon where several people shot a man in the back and head as he prepared to climb into a vehicle, the source said, identifying the victim as Andriy Portnov. The shooters then fled from the scene towards a wooded area, the source added, saying the attack struck outside an American private school at around 9:15 am. Madrid emergency services found a dead man sprawled on the pavement near the school with at least three gunshot wounds, spokeswoman Encarna Fernandez told reporters at the scene. Spanish media reported the victim had just dropped off his children at the school before he was killed. AFP journalists saw forensics officers take away a disfigured corpse wearing a white T-shirt soaked with blood. Armed police had cordoned off the area and a forensics team was collecting fingerprints from a black Mercedes. Alvaro Fernandez Garcia, a 22-year-old student who lives nearby, told AFP the shooting was "shocking". "We usually see this on the news, or in other countries," he added. Sanctioned for corruption Portnov was a lawmaker in the 2000s and became deputy head of the presidential administration under Yanukovych, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, before fleeing to Russia in 2014 after cracking down on pro-EU protests in Ukraine. Portnov lived in Russia and Austria before returning to his home country following the election of President Volodymyr Zelensky. The United States imposed sanctions on him in 2021 for alleged corruption, saying he had used his influence in the judiciary and law enforcement to buy access in Ukrainian courts and undermine reform efforts. He was also known in Ukraine for insulting and threatening journalists, as well as filing numerous lawsuits against media professionals. "It's hard to overstate Portnov's role in intimidating Ukrainian journalists and undermining freedom of speech in Ukraine," Anna Babinets, founder of investigative news outlet wrote on Facebook. According to media reports, he used his connections within the spheres of power to escape Ukraine again in 2022, despite a ban on men liable for military service leaving the country during the Russian invasion. Ukrainian authorities had not commented on the incident, but a military intelligence official told AFP on condition of anonymity that Portnov had been shot dead. Ukraine has claimed or been linked with several assassinations in Russia and Moscow-occupied parts of Ukraine since the start of the invasion in 2022, targeting political or military officials or ideological supporters of the war. Killings have also been attributed to Russia. In February 2024, the corpse of a helicopter pilot who had deserted the Russian military was found riddled with bullets near the Spanish coastal resort of Benidorm. El Pais daily reported that Spanish intelligence sources had "no doubt that the long arm of the Kremlin was behind this unprecedented crime". Spain hosts more than 300,000 Ukrainians, most of them beneficiaries of temporary protection granted after they fled the Russian invasion, according to government data. — AFP
