US (Washington Insider Magazine) – Currently, there are allegations that a Los Angeles-owned private equity firm engaged in illicit trade with Iran for crude oil. The allegations continue to state that their privately-owned tanker was caught in the engagement at sea, in direct violation of current American sanctions that are attempting to undermine the Islamic Republic’s efforts to destabilize the region. They are currently undergoing an investigation with the applicable U.S. officers.
New photos from satellites overhead and sea trackers have shown the engagement in progress, and have assisted prosecutors in building a case at this point in time. The data is currently in analysis via the Associated Press, which has identified the group as a possible party to this deal.
This comes as no surprise. Despite sanctions, Iran continues to state that they are continuing to sell far more oil than previously thought, making U.S. imposed sanctions far less effective than they otherwise would be. Currently, world leaders from Iran and other entities are in negotiations in Vienna regarding the status of their nuclear deal. The current requirement being placed on Tehran will require them to reduce their uranium enrichment significantly before the region finds economic relief.
The oil tanker has been shown to be owned by Oaktree subsidiary Fleetscape. The spokesperson did state that they are currently complying with U.S. laws and are conducting an investigation alongside U.S. officers. Currently, that is the only public statement that has been made regarding the matter.
Could there be more offshore trade going on? The answer isn’t clear. Traffic analyzers sourced from MarineTraffic.com have found that the Sue Rajan and Virgo tankers are in waters within that same area. The photos show the ships closer together, which could indicate a funneling operation that would share the crude oil load between the two.
The Virgo was also seen near Iran’s loading area on January 16th, according to U.S. News via Planet Labs satellite imagery. While the loading was not confirmed, it was apparent as the Virgo was seen near Khargh Island, Iran’s main distribution terminal.
This instability and uncertainty began as a result of the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal. When President Donald Trump removed the U.S. from the deal and placed American sanctions back on Iran’s interests, the country began to feel the ill effects from the lack of trade. Citizens and trades leaders alike felt the economic effects, especially from the difference of their sales between 2015 to 2018.
There is the supposition that Iranian officers are continuing to sell despite sanctions through back channels or other less-forthright ways. This is corroborated by the Central Bank of Iran’s statistics on their oil sales, which have more than doubled from last year for no reason or political change. While it is unclear at this point where the oil sales are coming from, many believe that it is going to China and other Asian countries to the East, as well as to key South American contacts. This has been corroborated with images of tankers in foreign ports from various sea sources.
