Exclusive – US Says Panama Has ‘De-Flagged’ 30 Iranian Vessels

The United States says that Panama has removed 30 Iranian vessels designated by Washington from its shipping registry, and they have been re-flagged as Iranian vessels.

A State Department spokesperson told Iran International’s Samira Gharaei Friday that the US Treasury Department updated its Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List (SDN list), marking the change in the status of these vessels.

“This SDN list update reflects the strong and long-standing partnership between the United States and Panama on respect for US sanctions in the maritime context.

We routinely work with Panama and other countries to ensure that their shipping registries are not abused by entities seeking to circumvent US sanctions on Iran.

Consistent with Panama’s domestic laws and international commitments, they have de-flagged hundreds of vessels since 2019,” the spokesperson said.

The US has designated hundreds of Iranian and other individuals, companies and vessels for suspected links to Tehran’s support for terror activities or assistance in Iran’s nuclear and missile programs.

There are also US sanctions on sectors of Iran’s economy as well as weapons programs. Many have also been designated for violating these US sanctions.

In most instances, US sanctions are also third-party sanctions, meaning any individual or entity breaking the rules will be separately be designated.

“We will continue to work with partners like Panama to ensure their registries and jurisdictions are not abused by entities attempting to evade our sanctions on Iran,” the State Department said.