The Government of Panama on Monday (2 June) rejected accusations made by United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) in recent publications circulated through media outlets and e-mails worldwide.

Panama Maritime Authority (PMA), called the claims made by Mark D. Wallace, CEO of UANI, as “misleading”. 

On 30 May, UANI accused Panama of its “longstanding role” in facilitating Iran’s illicit oil trade and urged Panama to de-flag all Iranian oil-smuggling vessels. According to UANI’s analysis, nearly one in five vessels suspected of transporting Iranian oil—17% or 94/542 of the total tracked—sails under Panama’s flag.

AMP, the entity in charge of the Panamanian Ship Registry and the governing body of the Panamanian maritime sector, reported it has removed more than 650 vessels from its registry since 2019, in compliance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and as part of its efforts to combat the financing of terrorism and illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing.

“The Government of Panama maintains close collaboration with the Government of the United States of America, through its Embassy in Panama and through direct communications with the Department of State, regarding the Ship Registry and other security matters of mutual interest,” it said in a statement. 

Furthermore, as part of its international commitments, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) known as the Registry of Information Sharing Compact (RISC) was signed in August 2019 between Liberia, Vanuatu, the Marshall Islands, Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda, Moldova, and Panama.

The agreement stipulates that when a flag registry cancels or initiates a sanction or cancellation process, or refuses to register a vessel due to sanctionable activity, the registry must immediately notify the other members of the vessel’s details, including a description of the sanctionable activity, in order to publicise the identity of vessels, companies, or groups acting against the interests of the international maritime community.

As a result of the signing of said MOU, the AMP issued Resolution No. 106-048-DGMM on 19 August 2019, establishing sanctions against any vessel of the Panama Registry that deliberately deactivates the Long-Range Identification and Tracking System (LRIT) and/or the Automatic Identification System (AIS) equipment.

Additionally, Panama has recently implemented strict new requirements for ship-to-ship (STS) oil transfer operations involving vessels under its flag, marking an important step in its efforts to combat sanctions evasion and illicit maritime activities. These new requirements are aligned with the standards of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the MARPOL Convention, reflecting Panama’s commitment to maritime security and operational transparency.

This measure follows the promulgation, in October 2024, of Executive Decree No. 512, which empowers the AMP to unilaterally deregister vessels whose owners appear on international sanctions lists. Since its promulgation to date, Panama has deregistered 214 vessels, representing more than 12 million Gross Register Tonnage (GRT).

“It is important to note that the AMP conducts investigations into compliance with international conventions ratified by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), due diligence, and recommendations from the United Nations Security Council Panel of Experts. Vessels that fail to comply with national regulations are subject to administrative and economic sanctions, and even cancellation of their registration (abandonment of the flag),” AMP added. 

Panama said it has complied and will continue to comply with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and its efforts to combat the financing of terrorism and illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing. 

Related: Panama tightens STS oil transfer rules to ‘shut the door’ on shadow fleet

Photo credit: Panama Maritime Authority
Published: 4 June, 2025

Panama Maritime Authority (PMA) on Friday (23 May) said it has strengthened its requirements for ship-to-ship (STS) oil transfer operations involving tankers registered under its flag. 

PMA said the objective is to “shut the door” on the so-called “shadow fleet” and reinforce the country’s standing as a responsible flag State.

PMA, through its Directorate General of Merchant Marine (DGMM), issued Resolution No. 106-035-DGMM of 2025 (published in Official Gazette 30271–A on May 6, 2025), which introduces stricter controls and mandatory traceability for offshore STS transfers of hydrocarbons.

“This initiative addresses the growing use of opaque vessels to circumvent international sanctions, transport undeclared crude, or evade environmental safety regulations—practices commonly associated with what is known as the shadow or dark fleet,” explained DGMM Acting Director, Engineer Rina Berrocal.

Effective immediately, all Panama-flagged vessels with a gross tonnage of 150 or more must notify the Flag State at least 48 hours in advance of any planned STS operation, providing detailed technical, logistical, and operational information.

The mandatory notification must include the following key data:

• Identification details of participating vessels (name, flag, IMO number)
• Coordinates and estimated time of the STS operation
• Type and quantity of hydrocarbons to be transferred
• Transfer method (underway or at anchor)
• Contact information of the Designated Person Ashore (DPA)
• Confirmation of the STS plan in accordance with Regulation 41 of the MARPOL Convention
• In addition, vessels must update their STS operational plans to reflect this new notification requirement and retain onboard an electronic acknowledgment of receipt.

“This new regulation reinforces Panama’s role as a flag State committed to maritime safety, operational transparency, and the prevention of fraudulent use of its registry, in full alignment with IMO regulations and the MARPOL Convention,” Berrocal emphasised.

“This is not just about safeguarding the reputation of the Panamanian registry,” she warned, “but about ensuring that our vessels are not used as platforms for illicit activities that undermine global trade and harm the environment.”

Photo credit: Panama Maritime Authority
Published: 30 May, 2025

The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on Tuesday (13 May) sanctioned nearly two dozen firms operating in multiple jurisdictions, including marine fuel testing and surveying firm CCIC Singapore Pte Ltd (CCIC Singapore).

OFAC said the Iranian government allocates billions of dollars’ worth of oil annually to its armed forces to supplement their budget allocations, underwriting the development of ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as financing regional terrorist groups.  

“Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff (AFGS) and its main commercial affiliate, Sepehr Energy Jahan Nama Pars Company (Sepehr Energy), continue to establish front companies and rely on buyers and facilitators to enable their sanctioned oil trade,” it said on its website. 

OFAC alleged that Sepehr Energy has “consistently relied” on CCIC Singapore to accomplish not only the necessary pre-delivery cargo inspections required before oil is transferred to China, but also to conceal the oil’s Iranian origins.

In late 2024, CCIC Singapore provided inspection services during a ship-to-ship transfer of approximately two million barrels of Iranian oil from the sanctioned vessel and Sepehr Energy-affiliated SIRI (IMO 9281683), formerly known as the ANTHEA. 

In mid-2024, CCIC Singapore also allegedly provided inspection services for the sanctioned vessel HECATE (IMO 9233753) and likely provided falsified documents concealing the vessel’s identity and certifying its Iranian oil cargo as Malaysian heavy crude oil. From late-2023 until at least late-2024, China-based CCIC sister company Huangdao Inspection and Certification Co., Ltd similarly provided oil cargo inspection services to numerous vessels already sanctioned for transporting Iranian oil.

“CCIC Singapore PTE. Ltd. and Huangdao Inspection and Certification Co., Ltd are being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, Sepehr Energy,” OFAC said. 

Once the oil reaches ports in China, Sepehr Energy and its fronts are reliant on complicit local agencies to handle vessel berthing and discharge operations, as well as transportation and storage services for the vessels’ oil cargoes. 

Entities in Shandong province, which is home to many of China’s small, independent teapot refineries—the primary purchasers of Iranian crude oil—have been especially willing to aid sanctioned Iranian vessels and oil cargoes.

OFAC added other companies—typically small agencies with generic or non-descript stated business purposes—have served as the middlemen between Sepehr Energy and Shandong’s teapot refineries by acting as the purchasers of the oil. 

In early 2024, Hong Kong-based companies Metaone Trading Limited, South Sea Energy Limited, Continental Sinoil Group Limited, Winso Trading Limited, and Singapore-based Oriental Apple Company Pte Ltd collectively took delivery of millions of barrels of Iranian oil from Sepehr Energy front Xin Rui Ji, likely as representatives of the small, independent teapot refineries based near Qingdao Port area in Shandong province.

Note: The full list of sanctioned companies can be found here.

Related: Shell MGO bunker heist: Ex-CCIC Singapore surveyor pleads guilty to misconduct, receiving USD 12k in bribes

Photo credit: Manifold Times
Published: 14 May, 2025