The United States has extended the scope of its blockade enforcement linked to Iran, broadening potential action against a much wider group of vessels worldwide.
In an update issued by USNAVCENT, the US said that in addition to enforcing the blockade on vessels entering or leaving Iranian ports, all Iranian vessels, vessels subject to active OFAC sanctions, and vessels suspected of carrying contraband are now subject to belligerent rights of visit and search.
According to the update, such vessels may be visited, boarded, searched and seized regardless of location.
The move significantly increases pressure on sanctioned ships in the so-called dark fleet, particularly those involved in opaque trading patterns. It also widens the potential enforcement net beyond ships physically moving in and out of Iran.
Contraband is defined as cargo destined for enemy use or potentially deployable in armed conflict. This includes weapons, ammunition, explosives, military systems and technology, as well as petroleum products, lubricants and nuclear materials.
Charlie Brown, senior adviser to United Against a Nuclear Iran (UANI), said the update delivers both warning and clarity. In his view, it should put the entire dark fleet on notice that enforcement action may now be taken against them anywhere in the world.
That could have particular relevance in Southeast Asia, where Malaysia’s Eastern Outer Port Limits anchorage has been repeatedly highlighted as a hotspot for ship-to-ship transfers involving sanctioned Iranian oil bound for China.
Brown described the measure as being “straight from the textbook” of naval warfare law. UANI currently tracks a so-called ghost fleet of more than 570 ships that it says have supported Iranian oil exports.
