Malaysia Says 42 Iran-Linked Oil Transfers Exploited Jurisdictional Gaps Near Johor
Updated
Updated · The Associated Press · May 14
Malaysia Says 42 Iran-Linked Oil Transfers Exploited Jurisdictional Gaps Near Johor
11 articles · Updated · The Associated Press · May 14
Malaysia’s maritime agency said Iran-linked tankers are conducting sanctioned oil transfers near Johor by operating outside territorial waters and beyond radar coverage, rejecting claims that authorities ignored the trade.
The agency said the Eastern Outer Port Limits—about 70 kilometers off Johor—let ships exploit maritime boundaries and weak real-time intelligence sharing, limiting direct enforcement under Malaysian law.
UANI said it tracked 42 ship-to-ship transfers there since Feb. 28 and counted two dozen Iranian-linked tankers anchored or loitering nearby, calling the activity “business as usual” despite a mid-April U.S. blockade.
Indonesia, whose Riau islands border the area, said it is reviewing the legality of the transfers, while Malaysia pointed to an earlier seizure of two vessels carrying 2 million barrels in its territorial waters.
The waters have become a key hub for Iran’s shadow fleet moving crude largely to China, which buys about 90% of Iranian oil, underscoring how high-seas transfers keep exports flowing under sanctions.
The U.S. is now disabling Iranian tankers at sea. Is the shadow war over sanctioned oil about to escalate?
As aging tankers swap sanctioned oil off its coast, is Malaysia sitting on an environmental time bomb?
With a new High Seas Treaty now in force, why can't Iran's ghost tankers be stopped from operating in international waters?