US destroys five Iranian oil tankers, most flagged under dubious foreign registries
U.S. Central Command said it sank five Iranian crude carriers in retaliation for an attack on a U.S. warship, with four of the vessels flying the flags of Comoros, Palau or Zimbabwe.
In response to an Iranian assault on a U.S. Navy vessel, U.S. Central Command reported the destruction of five Iranian crude oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman and near Kharg Island. The ships - M/T Kaviz, M/T Charminar, M/T Horizon 1, M/T Riesco and M/T Derya - were part of a shadow fleet that allegedly finances the IRGC and its proxies. Tracking data shows that Kaviz and Charminar sailed under the Comorian flag, Horizon 1 under Palau, and Riesco under Zimbabwe, a landlocked nation with no registered fleet.
The Derya was flagged to Iran. Experts highlight that such false-flag registrations enable vessels to change identity and avoid detection, undermining international sanctions regimes.
Why it matters
The strike exposes how Iran uses bogus ship registrations to bypass sanctions and fund regional militias.
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