Sanctioned tankers disguised as Iraqi ships are carrying hundreds of millions of dollars of Iranian crude, according to maritime intelligence, as President Donald Trump doubled down on the port blockade to pinch Tehran’s oil lifeline.
Windward AI alleged Wednesday that a group of U.S.-sanctioned tankers spoofed their location data to anchor off Iraq while secretly loading Iranian oil at Iranian ports.
“For the four VLCCs, each VLCC can hold about 2 million barrels, so four of them could hold 8 million barrels worth about $800 million at $100 per barrel,” Windward said.
TRUMP CALLS MADURO’S DEPARTURE AS ‘SMART’ MOVE AS RUSSIA AND CHINA BEGIN FIGHT
A cargo ship sails towards the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf on April 22, 2026. (AP photo)
This came as Trump said on Wednesday he will keep Iran under a naval blockade until the country agrees to a deal addressing US concerns about its nuclear program.
The US government has demanded that Iran dismantle its uranium enrichment programme, while Tehran insists enrichment is a sovereign right and non-negotiable, leaving little room for compromise.
Windward AI noted a “cluster” of sanctioned tankers spoofing locations seen west of the Strait of Hormuz.
“A cluster of ten Iranian-trafficked, US-sanctioned tankers are now spoofing their AIS location to falsely appear at anchorages off Basrah, Iraq, as the blockade continues to restrict Iranian ports,” Windward explained.
“The ships identified by Windward Multi-Source Intelligence are manipulating their signals to create a digital alibi,” the intelligence firm claimed.
“By broadcasting false destination messages to Iraqi ports, the tankers appear to be in Iraqi waters while surreptitiously sailing to Iran to load sanctioned oil.
US AND UKRAINE DOWNLOAD 1,000 ‘DARK FLEET’ VESSELS Smuggling Sanctioned Oil Worldwide
“Once loaded, the ships will reappear on AIS to suggest a legitimate Iraqi origin for the cargo.”
The US blockade of Iranian ports began on April 13 as part of a broader effort to pressure Iran to renegotiate the limits of its nuclear program.
The blockade has developed in phases, starting with naval deployments and limited maritime enforcement to restrict Iranian oil exports and economic activity.
Windward said more than 20 tankers have been trapped west of Hormuz as of Wednesday, with the blockade cutting Iran’s oil supplies and exports by more than half.
“This misleading practice is under increased scrutiny as the ships are part of a larger group of more than 20 tankers currently stuck west of Hormuz,” the company said.
“The handy tanker Paola and the Long Range One tanker Adena, both signaling as ‘Iraqi owner’ but connected to a sanctioned network.”
TRUMP DECLARES ‘VENEZUELAN REGIME’ A FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION, ORDERS OIL TANKERS BLOCKADE
President Donald Trump is considering a possible attack on Iran’s oil hub on Kharg Island, amid expert predictions of market chaos. (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto)
The company claimed that three medium-range tankers, including Aqualis, Kush and Charminar, and the LPG tanker Royal H (IMO 9155341), which was sanctioned again in February, “exhibit erratic voyage tracks indicative of a cargo at the Iraqi port of Khor Al Zubair.”
“The telltale spoofing signals, including erratic patterns and false port signals, highlight the evolving tactics used by the dark fleet as the blockade more than halves Iranian oil shipments and exports,” the company said.
In the meantime. Iran’s Mohammad Ghalibaf on Wednesday criticized US policymakers, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, over the impact of the US blockade of Iranian ports.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
The parliamentary speaker called “junk advice” and accused the Ministry of Finance of driving up oil prices.
“Three days later, not a single well exploded,” Ghalibaf said in a post shared on X.
