Israeli Seizure of Iranian Oil Tankers: Escalating Tensions and Regional Security Concerns
Introduction
Amidst heightened security tensions between Israel and Iran, and warnings of a regional conflict in the event of an exchange of attacks, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant has ordered the seizure of 18 oil tankers linked to the Iranian regime. Israel alleges that these vessels are used to finance the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its Quds Force, as well as Hezbollah.
Israeli Justification and Allegations
According to the Israeli Defense Ministry, as of Wednesday, August 14, 2023, the 18 oil tankers have been designated as “their proceeds are used to finance and strengthen terrorist organizations, including Hezbollah and Hamas.” The ministry stated that international sanctions have exposed the IRGC’s funding axis of armed organizations and “made it difficult to launder money through oil tankers.”
The announcement claimed that the Defense Minister had “imposed sanctions” on the vessels; however, in late July, orders signed by Galant were published in the Israeli registry, instructing the “seizure” of the tankers for “confiscation” purposes, to “thwart the activities of Hezbollah and the Quds Force.”
The Defense Ministry alleges that senior Hezbollah officials are involved in managing the oil trade, including Muhammad Qasim Al-Bazal, responsible for the organization’s funding mechanisms, Muhammad Kassir, responsible for financing with the Quds Force, and businessman Baraa Katriji, who was killed last month in an explosion while traveling on the Beirut-Damascus road, an assassination attributed to Israel.
Katriji was from a family with close ties to the Assad regime in Syria, and according to various Israeli publications, he managed the family’s oil activities, including trade with Iran, which subjected him to US sanctions.
Tracking and Evidence
According to the Defense Ministry, the confiscation orders mark the first of their kind issued by Israel against Iranian vessels. They follow the monitoring of multiple cargo ships linked to Tehran and the documentation, using satellite imagery, of several of these vessels and oil tankers sailing towards the Syrian port of Baniyas.
Israel claims that the Iranian-linked tankers are registered to fictitious companies worldwide, and satellite images have revealed that they sailed from Iran to Baniyas in Syria using deceptive tactics. They turned off their transponders in an attempt to evade surveillance, but satellites detected them unloading oil in Syria.
“Haaretz” military and technology correspondent Oded Yaron characterized this move as “extraordinary” for Israel, which has previously engaged in active military disruption of oil smuggling.
Yaron recounted Israel’s alleged systematic disruption of oil smuggling from Iran to Syria in March 2021, with the targeting of at least 12 vessels. He noted that eight oil tankers from the “Iranian ghost fleet” had carried out 17 shipments worth over a billion dollars in 2023, violating sanctions imposed on Iran and Syria.
Yaron estimated that Israel had carried out dozens of attacks against various cargo ships linked to Tehran in 2023, allegedly causing billions of dollars in damage and losses to Iran.
The journalist suggested that most of the Iranian-linked vessels targeted by the Israeli Defense Ministry’s confiscation orders are old and poorly maintained, resulting in leakage and severe environmental pollution. To conceal the oil’s origin and movement, they engage in hazardous ship-to-ship oil transfers at sea, bypassing proper oversight and precautions.
In 2021, a serious oil spill occurred off the coast of Israel from a Libyan vessel carrying Iranian oil to Syria, which had its transponder turned off. The spill resulted in 160 kilometers of the Israeli Mediterranean coastline being covered in tar.
Israel has been secretive about the methods it will employ to apprehend the Iranian-linked vessels, whether by intercepting or attacking them during transit. The Defense Ministry declined to disclose the specific measures it will take to seize the Iranian vessels and whether it will collaborate with other countries in carrying out these actions.
Challenges and Legal Implications
The Israeli newspaper “Haaretz” cited shipping specialist Daniel Martin, who stated that “Israeli sanctions are not as forceful as those imposed by the United States or the European Union, but these orders from the Israeli Defense Ministry could complicate matters for those involved.”
Martin believed that Galant’s orders, which have been widely disseminated to relevant international parties, create additional challenges for ship owners, operators, insurance companies, and other service providers.
The shipping specialist explained that the 18 tankers operate in the shadows, do not activate their transponders as required, allegedly broadcast false sailing locations, and do everything possible to avoid tracking, both at their loading and unloading destinations. Some have not activated their identification systems for years.
According to Martin, these vessels are nominally owned by a group of companies from around the world, most of which are shell companies set up solely to register ownership of a single vessel. They sail under various flags, including Panama, Tanzania, Palau, and the Cook Islands.
The evidence underpinning the Israeli confiscation orders appears to stem from multiple sources, Martin said. The seizure orders indicate that some vessels were detected conducting transshipments at sea from another Iranian tanker called “Jasmine,” which is already subject to US sanctions.
One such vessel is the “Elyin,” which the Israeli Defense Ministry claims was transferring oil from Quds Force-owned storage facilities. The tanker’s name surfaced in a major data leak from the Iranian Defense Ministry’s “Sahara Rayad” company, which was sanctioned by the US in April.
Conclusion
The seizure of Iranian oil tankers by Israel has heightened tensions and raised regional security concerns. The Israeli government alleges that these vessels are used to finance terrorist organizations, while experts raise concerns about potential legal challenges and environmental implications. As the situation continues to develop, it remains to be seen how the issue will be resolved and what its long-term implications will be for regional stability.
