A United States special envoy has urged Panama to stop Iranian ships from flying its flag, which allows Tehran to evade sanctions imposed by Washington.
The small Central American nation is the world leader in offering flags of convenience, which allow shipping companies to register their vessels in countries to which they have no link — for a fee and freedom from oversight.
“Iran and actors related to Iran are trying to evade sanctions here in Panama. They’re trying to abuse Panama’s flag registry,” says Abram Paley, US deputy special envoy for Iran.
Paley was visiting the country yesterday “to ensure Panama’s shipping registry and jurisdiction is not abused by entities attempting to evade our sanctions on Iran.”
According to the Panama Maritime Authority, the country has registered 8,540 ships, about 16 percent of the global fleet.
Washington suspects that some of them are used by Iran to transport oil or its derivatives, to bypass sanctions.
The US government accuses Iran of financing Yemen’s Houthi rebels and other terror groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas with the revenue it receives from oil sales.
Bridging the US-Israel divide
While the heart of The Times of Israel’s work takes place in Israel, so many of Jerusalem’s actions are influenced by those in Washington’s halls of power.
As ToI’s US bureau chief, I work to gain access to decision-makers in the United States government so our readers can understand the US-Israel relationship beyond the platitudes evident in public statements.
I'm proud of our ability to inform without sensationalizing, our dedication to be fast while ensuring accuracy, and our determination to present Israel's entire, complex story.
Your support through The Times of Israel Community helps us continue to keep readers around the world properly informed about the critical Israel-US relationship. Do you appreciate our news coverage? If so, please join the ToI Community today.
- Jacob Magid, The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
Yes, I'll join
Yes, I'll join
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel eleven years ago - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this