Iran’s $800M oil smuggling scheme uses tankers posing as Iraqi ships to dodge blockade

Sanctioned tankers disguised arsenic Iraqi vessels are moving hundreds of millions of dollars successful Iranian crude arsenic President Donald Trump doubled down connected nan larboard blockade to compression Tehran’s lipid lifeline, according to maritime intelligence.

Windward AI claimed Wednesday that a group of U.S.-sanctioned tankers are falsifying their location information to travel disconnected arsenic anchored disconnected Iraq while secretly loading Iranian lipid astatine Iranian ports.

"Among nan tankers spoofing their location successful nan area identified by Windward are 4 VLCCs: Alicia (IMO 9281695), RHN (IMO 9208215), Star Forest (9237632), and Aqua (IMO 9248473), utilizing various flags, including fraudulent registries from Curacao and Malawi," nan patient told Fox News Digital.

"For nan 4 VLCCs, each VLCC tin clasp astir 2 cardinal barrels, truthful 4 of them would clasp 8 cardinal barrels, worthy astir $800 cardinal astatine $100 per barrel," Windward said.

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A cargo vessel sails successful nan Persian Gulf toward nan Strait of Hormuz connected April 22, 2026. (AP Photo)

This came arsenic Trump said Wednesday he will support Iran nether a naval blockade until it agrees to a woody addressing U.S. concerns astir its atomic program.

The U.S. management has demanded that Iran dismantle its uranium enrichment program, while Tehran maintains that enrichment is simply a sovereign correct and nonnegotiable, leaving small room for compromise.

Windward AI noted a "cluster" sanctioned tankers spoofing locations and sighted to nan West of nan Strait of Hormuz.

"A cluster of 10 Iran-trading, U.S.-sanctioned tankers is now spoofing its AIS location to falsely look astatine anchorages disconnected Basrah, Iraq, arsenic nan blockade continues to constrict Iranian ports," Windward explained.

"The vessels identified by Windward Multi-Source Intelligence are manipulating their signals to create a integer alibi," nan intelligence patient claimed.

"By broadcasting clone destination messages to Iraqi ports, nan tankers look to beryllium successful Iraqi waters while covertly sailing to Iran to load sanctioned oil.

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"Once loaded, nan vessels re-emerge connected AIS to propose a morganatic Iraqi root for nan cargo."

The U.S. blockade connected Iranian ports began April 13 arsenic portion of a broader effort to unit Iran into renegotiating limits connected its atomic program.

The blockade has unfolded successful stages, starting pinch naval deployments and restricted maritime enforcement to limit Iran’s lipid exports and economical activity.

Windward said much than 2 twelve tankers are presently confined westbound of Hormuz arsenic of Wednesday, pinch nan blockade cutting Iranian lipid loadings and exports by much than half.

"This deceptive believe is nether intensified scrutiny arsenic nan vessels are portion of a larger group of much than 2 twelve tankers presently confined westbound of Hormuz," nan patient said.

"The handysize tanker Paola and Long Range One tanker Adena, some signaling ‘Iraqi owner’ but linked to a sanctioned network."

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Former President Donald Trump weighs a imaginable onslaught connected Iran's lipid hub astatine Kharg Island amid master predictions of marketplace chaos. (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto)

The patient claimed 3 medium-range tankers, including Aqualis, Kush and Charminar, and nan LPG bearer Royal H (IMO 9155341), which was recently sanctioned successful February, are presently displaying "erratic voyage trails to propose a loading astatine nan Iraqi larboard of Khor Al Zubair."

"The tell-tale spoofing signs, including erratic patterns and clone larboard signals, item nan shifting strategies utilized by nan dark fleet arsenic nan blockade much than halves Iranian lipid loadings and exports," nan patient said.

Meanwhile. Iran’s Mohammad Ghalibaf slammed U.S. policymakers Wednesday, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, complete nan impact of nan U.S. blockade of Iranian ports.

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The parliamentary speaker cited "junk advice" and blamed nan Treasury for pushing up lipid prices.

"Three days in, nary good exploded," Ghalibaf said successful a station shared connected X.