Piracy incident in the Gulf of Oman by an armed crew of alleged Revolutionary Guards.brought to the fore unknown aspects of the company's Greek interests Own the ship.
A Greek-owned tanker, named St. NicholasBelongs to a corporation of Greek interests headquartered and named in Athens “Empire Navigation”. However, its name changed a few months ago, specifically last September, until then, It was called Suez Rajan.
The ship was targeted and attacked Unite against a nuclear-armed Iran In February 2022, the tanker was suspected of carrying oil from Iran's Kharg Island.
For several months, the ship was anchored off the northeast coast of Singapore Before suddenly traveling to the Texas coast without explanation. The tanker reportedly loaded its cargo onto another tanker in August, which released its oil in Houston as part of a court order.
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As reported by the international media The ship was at the center of a controversy that eventually led to the US Department of Justice seizing 1 million barrels of Iranian crude oil from the tanker.
Corporate Offenses and Penalties
Company, according to his information Associated PressHe pleaded guilty to kidnapping and agreed to pay a $2.4 million fine, according to court documents.
Such is the case with Empire Navigation Faces three years of probationIt marks the first public acknowledgment by US prosecutors that the US seized about 1 million barrels of oil from the tanker.
Empire Navigation's lawyer, Apostolos Tourkantonis, He pleaded guilty in April to violating sanctions against Iran. However, the company did not comment on the case.
The company seems guilty Satellite images were also confirmed According to the US Department of Justice, Suez tried to cover up Rajan's loading of oil, instead claiming the oil came from someone else.
US Confiscated “Wars”
As of 2019, the United States and its allies are seizing Iranian oil exports. This led to a series of attacks in the Middle East. “Islamic Republic”As well as the seizure of ships by Iranian military and paramilitary forces, threatening global shipping through the narrow Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf, through which 20% of the world's oil passes.
The US Treasury says Iran's revenue from oil smuggling supports this Quds Force, The Revolutionary Guards' propaganda wing is active throughout the Middle East. Court documents They connect the guards with the tradeThis includes hundreds of vessels trying to hide their movements and their ownership through offshore companies.
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But Suez Rajan's case is unique during the exchange because it belongs to a private equity firm. Oaktree Capital Management Based in Los Angeles. This may have given US prosecutors an advantage in prosecuting the case. Oaktree has repeatedly declined to discuss the case. He sold the ship to the Empire at the end of May.
George W. Mark Wallace, former US ambassador to the United Nations under Bush and chairman of United Against a Nuclear Iran, praised Empire Navigation for agreeing to the confession. He described Iran's oil smuggling as a 'mafia'. urged the business and those involved to leave the business.
“They Faced Assassination Threats by Iranians in Greece”, Wallace told the AP. “They took their way out of the Mafia.”
