Call for Pressure on Panama to Stop Cooperation with Iranian Tankers

As U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio prepares for a trip to Panama, the "United Against Nuclear Iran" organization issued a statement urging the Panamanian government to immediately and verifiably halt the registration of flags for Iranian tankers. The organization supports the resumption of the Trump administration's maximum pressure policy against the Islamic Republic and emphasizes that Rubio's visit to Panama is an important opportunity to increase pressure on the country regarding its cooperation with Iran's oil networks. According to the organization's report, about 20% of the 477 ships in the so-called "ghost fleet," which evade U.S. sanctions, operate under the flag of the Panama Maritime Administration. This has made Panama the largest registrant of ships linked to the smuggling of Iranian oil. Although Panama has canceled the registration of 133 ships in 2024 and made some internal reforms in this regard, the organization deems these actions insufficient and insists that the country must completely refrain from registering flags for ships linked to Iran. The organization has urged the U.S. Secretary of State to compel Panama to make a formal commitment to revoke the registration of all ghost fleet tankers and to cease any cooperation with Iran's oil networks during his visit. At the end of the statement, the organization warned that if Panama does not cooperate, the Trump administration should impose sanctions against entities and individuals involved in this process.