US Sanctions Break Up Iranian 'Dark Fleet' of Crude Oil Tankers

US sanctions have seemingly broken up an Iranian 'dark fleet' of crude oil tankers that had been anchored off the coast of Sri Lanka for over a month. The tankers, which had been under US Department of the Treasury sanctions, began to disperse on Wednesday (26), with 11 out of 16 vessels steering north-westwards in the Laccadive Sea by Friday afternoon.

The move has ended the formation of the long picket line they held off Galle in Sri Lankan waters. Open-source ship tracking platforms, such as MarineTraffic, have confirmed the dispersal of the 'dark fleet.'

Last week, The Sunday Morning reported on the presence of 16 Iranian-flagged Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) tankers that were under US sanctions and had been idling at the edge of Sri Lankan waters off the southwestern coast.