Panama blasts ‘misleading claims’ on Iran oil complicity
- The AMP responded to a statement from pressure group UANI that said the registry was ‘facilitating Iran’s illicit oil trade’
- Panama called the allegations ‘misleading’, and argued it has removed 214 vessels from its registry after passing a decree in 2024 allowing the AMP to remove vessels
- Panama began a purge of its sanctions-skirting tonnage early last year that saw its share of the Iran-trading fleet fall from around 40% to just 17%, according to UANI figures
- But UANI chief executive Mark Wallace said recent moves taken by the registry were meant to ‘placate its critics’ and called for more action
The Panama Maritime Authority has substantially reduced its share of the Iran-trading fleet over the past 18 months, but US pressure group UANI says it is still complicit in facilitating Iran’s oil export. The Panamanian government says it rejects the ‘misleading claims’