Tanzania is de-registering 36 Iranian oil carriers which had taken Tanzanian flag so as to avoid sanctions imposed by the U.S. and the EU against Iran amid Teheran’s nuclear program development, Reuters informs.
Having been subjected to harsh criticism from the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs for reflagging Iranian vessels allowing them to evade sanctions and get indemnity coverage along with other benefits, last month Tanzania conducted an investigation into the matter.
A report from the investigation, conducted with the U.S. and EU help, found that a shipping agent from Dubai, namely Philtex was behind the reflagging of the ships without the country’s knowledge.
“The government has thoroughly investigated this issue and established that the Zanzibar Maritime Authority (ZMA) through our Dubai-based agent, Philtex, registered 36 Iranian crude oil tankers and containership vessels to fly the Tanzanian flag.
“The Zanzibar government is in the process of de-registering the ships and also terminating its agency contract with Philtex after establishing the truth that these (Iranian) ships are flying the Tanzanian flag,” Reuters cited Zanzibar Vice President, Seif Ali Iddi as saying while addressing the present at an assembly of the House of Representatives of Zanzibar held on Friday.
[mappress]
World Maritime News Staff, August 13, 2012