Reuters: US Government's Plan to Inspect Oil Tankers Carrying Iranian Oil

Reuters reported on a potential plan by the US government to stop and inspect ships carrying Iranian oil in international waters as part of a global agreement aimed at countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Six informed sources, who wished to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the issue, told Reuters on Thursday, March 7, that officials in the Trump administration are exploring ways for US allies to stop and inspect vessels passing through critical chokepoints like the Malacca Strait in Asia and other maritime routes. Following his return to the White House, Trump signed an order to revive the 'maximum pressure' policy against Iran to reduce Iranian oil exports to zero, and in recent weeks, the US Treasury Department has imposed two rounds of sanctions on companies and ships involved in Iranian oil exports. Reuters sources indicated that stopping and inspecting oil tankers carrying Iranian oil would delay shipments to Chinese customers and expose parties involved in Iranian oil transactions to potential damage to their credibility and sanctions. One source emphasized, 'There is no need to sink ships or arrest people to create a deterrent effect; it is not worth the risk. Delays in the delivery of Iranian oil shipments will inject uncertainty into this illegal trade network.' Tracking companies have identified over 500 tankers involved in the clandestine oil smuggling of the Islamic Republic, of which only 45% are sanctioned. The intensification of US sanctions against tankers since October of last year has led to a significant decline in the discharge of Iranian oil at Chinese ports, with the average daily delivery of Iranian oil to China in the past two months being about 700,000 barrels, less than half of last year's average. Despite the decline in Iranian oil discharge at Chinese ports, loading oil shipments from Iranian ports continues robustly. Reuters reports that the Trump administration is considering whether maritime inspections can be conducted under the oversight of the 'Proliferation Security Initiative,' which was implemented in 2003 to prevent the trafficking of weapons of mass destruction. The US was a pioneer of this initiative, which has been signed by over a hundred countries. According to one source, this mechanism could allow foreign governments to stop and inspect Iranian oil shipments at the request of the United States. Reuters notes that stopping and inspecting tankers linked to Iran could provoke a reaction from the Islamic Republic, as previous attempts to seize Iranian oil shipments have met with reciprocal responses from Iran. For example, the Biden administration seized at least two Iranian oil shipments in 2023, and Iran took reciprocal action.