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Iran’s $800M oil smuggling scheme uses tankers posing as Iraqi ships to dodge blockade
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Sanctioned tankers disguised as Iraqi vessels are moving hundreds of millions of dollars in Iranian crude as President Donald Trump doubled down on the port blockade to squeeze Tehran’s oil lifeline, according to maritime intelligence.
Windward AI claimed Wednesday that a group of U.S.-sanctioned tankers are falsifying their location data to come off as anchored off Iraq while secretly loading Iranian oil at Iranian ports.
«Among the tankers spoofing their location in the area identified by Windward are four VLCCs: Alicia (IMO 9281695), RHN (IMO 9208215), Star Forest (9237632), and Aqua (IMO 9248473), using various flags, including fraudulent registries from Curacao and Malawi,» the firm told Fox News Digital.
«For the four VLCCs, each VLCC can hold about 2 million barrels, so four of them would hold 8 million barrels, worth about $800 million at $100 per barrel,» Windward said.
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A cargo ship sails in the Persian Gulf toward the Strait of Hormuz on April 22, 2026. (AP Photo)
This came as Trump said Wednesday he will keep Iran under a naval blockade until it agrees to a deal addressing U.S. concerns about its nuclear program.
The U.S. administration has demanded that Iran dismantle its uranium enrichment program, while Tehran maintains that enrichment is a sovereign right and nonnegotiable, leaving little room for compromise.
Windward AI noted a «cluster» sanctioned tankers spoofing locations and sighted to the West of the Strait of Hormuz.
«A cluster of 10 Iran-trading, U.S.-sanctioned tankers is now spoofing its AIS location to falsely appear at anchorages off Basrah, Iraq, as the blockade continues to constrict Iranian ports,» Windward explained.
«The vessels identified by Windward Multi-Source Intelligence are manipulating their signals to create a digital alibi,» the intelligence firm claimed.
«By broadcasting fake destination messages to Iraqi ports, the tankers appear to be in Iraqi waters while covertly sailing to Iran to load sanctioned oil.
US AND UKRAINE TARGET 1,000-VESSEL ‘DARK FLEET’ SMUGGLING SANCTIONED OIL WORLDWIDE
«Once loaded, the vessels re-emerge on AIS to suggest a legitimate Iraqi origin for the cargo.»
The U.S. blockade on Iranian ports began April 13 as part of a broader effort to pressure Iran into renegotiating limits on its nuclear program.
The blockade has unfolded in stages, starting with naval deployments and restricted maritime enforcement to limit Iran’s oil exports and economic activity.
Windward said more than two dozen tankers are currently confined west of Hormuz as of Wednesday, with the blockade cutting Iranian oil loadings and exports by more than half.
«This deceptive practice is under intensified scrutiny as the vessels are part of a larger group of more than two dozen tankers currently confined west of Hormuz,» the firm said.
«The handysize tanker Paola and Long Range One tanker Adena, both signaling ‘Iraqi owner’ but linked to a sanctioned network.»
TRUMP DECLARES ‘VENEZUELAN REGIME’ A FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION, ORDERS OIL TANKER BLOCKADE
Former President Donald Trump weighs a potential attack on Iran’s oil hub at Kharg Island amid expert predictions of market chaos. (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto)
The firm claimed three medium-range tankers, including Aqualis, Kush and Charminar, and the LPG carrier Royal H (IMO 9155341), which was newly sanctioned in February, are currently displaying «erratic voyage trails to suggest a loading at the Iraqi port of Khor Al Zubair.»
«The tell-tale spoofing signs, including erratic patterns and fake port signals, highlight the shifting tactics used by the dark fleet as the blockade more than halves Iranian oil loadings and exports,» the firm said.
Meanwhile. Iran’s Mohammad Ghalibaf slammed U.S. policymakers Wednesday, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, over the impact of the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports.
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The parliamentary speaker cited «junk advice» and blamed the Treasury for pushing up oil prices.
«Three days in, no well exploded,» Ghalibaf said in a post shared on X.
us navy, middle east, war with iran, iran, sanctions
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Newsom blames Trump for DOJ probe, but reports say investigation predates his administration
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California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s claims that President Donald Trump’s Justice Department launched a politically motivated «fishing expedition» against him are facing new scrutiny after multiple reports indicated key federal investigations predate Trump’s second administration.
The timeline has emerged as a central point in the dispute. While Newsom argues the current Justice Department is weaponizing the investigations against a political rival, multiple news organizations, citing sources familiar with the matter, have reported that at least some of the investigative activity began before Trump returned to the White House.
According to CalMatters, at least two criminal investigations involving Newsom’s orbit have been underway for about a year in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California. The outlet, citing a Justice Department source familiar with the matter, reported the investigations originated from whistleblowers and local complaints in Sacramento, while one inquiry involving former Newsom chief of staff Dana Williamson was opened during the Biden administration. CBS News, Axios, the Financial Times and The Guardian have also reported similar timelines, citing sources familiar with the investigations.
Newsom has maintained that the current Justice Department has expanded or politicized the investigations, even as the reported chronology has fueled questions over whether the inquiries themselves originated under Trump’s administration.
WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE NEWSOM-LINKED CHARITIES REPORTEDLY CAUGHT IN DOJ’S SIGHTS
President Donald Trump and Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., have feuded throughout Trump’s second term so far. (AP Newsroom)
The outlet also reported that one investigation involving former Newsom chief of staff Dana Williamson was opened during the Biden administration. Williamson pleaded guilty earlier this year to corruption charges in a case that did not implicate Newsom. CBS News, Axios, the Financial Times and The Guardian have also reported, citing sources familiar with the investigations, that at least one federal inquiry began roughly a year ago and originated in California rather than at Justice Department headquarters in Washington.
Despite that reported timeline, Newsom has maintained that the current Justice Department is weaponizing the investigations in retaliation for his criticism of Trump and his national political profile, describing the inquiry as a politically motivated «fishing expedition.» His administration has also sought records through the Freedom of Information Act in an effort to determine who ordered or directed the current investigation.
ACTING AG TODD BLANCHE SAYS NEWSOM’S DOJ CLAIMS ARE NOT ‘GROUNDED IN FACT’
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has pushed back on Newsom’s claims that the DOJ’s investigations are politically motivated. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc)
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche pushed back on that characterization this week. While declining to comment on any ongoing investigations, Blanche told reporters he was «not sure [Newsom’s] words are in any way grounded in fact,» adding that the California governor «would have to address that.» Blanche did not confirm or deny whether any investigation exists.
Newsom’s office responded by mocking Blanche on social media, posting a meme captioned, «Why you always lyin,» while the governor’s press office said, «Trump goons know that it’s not a crime to lie to a reporter.»
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According to CalMatters, Newsom’s office contends federal prosecutors expanded their inquiries after failing to build a case from the Williamson investigation, broadening their scrutiny to include Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the couple’s finances and their associates.
The outlet reported investigators have examined the first partner’s tax filings, nonprofit organizations and certain behested payments, though it did not allege those payments were unlawful.
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First partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom is among those whose finances and nonprofit organizations have reportedly been scrutinized in a federal investigation, according to CalMatters. (Getty Images)
Fox News Digital previously reported, citing federal sources, that investigators have opened inquiries involving Jennifer Siebel Newsom, but that Fox News had not learned of any federal investigation directly targeting Gov. Newsom himself.
The Department of Justice, the White House and Newsom’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
politics, justice department, gavin newsom, donald trump
El director de la organización, Wilmer Vásquez, advirtió que este fenómeno continúa siendo una de las principales expresiones de la crisis social que enfrenta Honduras, debido a la persistente falta de oportunidades, la desigualdad estructural y la vulneración de derechos fundamentales que afectan a la niñez y adolescencia en distintas regiones del territorio nacional.
Coiproden señaló que, pese al endurecimiento de las políticas migratorias en Estados Unidos y al incremento de controles fronterizos en los últimos años, el flujo migratorio de familias hondureñas no ha disminuido de forma significativa.
De acuerdo con la organización, muchas familias continúan tomando la decisión de migrar debido a condiciones económicas adversas, la falta de empleo digno y la limitada cobertura de servicios básicos en comunidades rurales y urbanas del país.
En este contexto, la niñez se ha convertido en uno de los grupos más vulnerables dentro de los flujos migratorios, ya sea viajando sola o acompañada de sus familiares en busca de mejores condiciones de vida fuera de Honduras.
El representante de Coiproden calificó como alarmantes las cifras acumuladas desde 2014, al señalar que el impacto de la migración infantil no solo se mide en los menores deportados, sino también en aquellos que logran salir del país o que permanecen en tránsito migratorio.
Según explicó, si estos datos se registraran en países con mayores niveles de desarrollo institucional, serían considerados una emergencia nacional debido a las implicaciones sociales, económicas y humanitarias que representan.
“Si vemos estas estadísticas en un país desarrollado, estaríamos en una completa emergencia nacional”, expresó Wilmer Vásquez, al referirse a la magnitud del fenómeno migratorio infantil en Honduras.
Coiproden subrayó que la migración de niñas, niños y adolescentes no es un hecho aislado, sino el resultado de múltiples factores estructurales que afectan a la sociedad hondureña.
Entre ellos destacan la pobreza, la desigualdad social, la falta de acceso a oportunidades educativas y la ausencia de empleos dignos para los adultos responsables de los hogares, lo que obliga a muchas familias a buscar alternativas fuera del país.
La organización insistió en que estos factores se han mantenido a lo largo de los años, sin una respuesta integral suficientemente efectiva por parte del Estado para revertir la tendencia migratoria.
Vásquez reiteró la necesidad de fortalecer el sistema de protección de la niñez mediante una mayor asignación de recursos públicos y el desarrollo de políticas sociales más robustas y sostenidas en el tiempo.
En ese sentido, Coiproden planteó la importancia de reforzar programas de prevención, atención y acompañamiento a las familias en situación de vulnerabilidad, con el fin de reducir los factores que impulsan la migración irregular.
Asimismo, la organización enfatizó que es fundamental garantizar acceso a educación, salud y condiciones de vida dignas en las comunidades, para evitar que la migración sea vista como la única alternativa de desarrollo.
El director de Coiproden afirmó que la solución a esta problemática requiere una estrategia integral que involucre al Estado, la sociedad civil y la cooperación internacional, enfocada en mejorar las condiciones de vida de la población.
Advirtió que mientras persistan la pobreza, la desigualdad y la falta de oportunidades laborales, las niñas, niños y adolescentes continuarán siendo parte de los flujos migratorios que buscan llegar a otros países en busca de un futuro mejor.
Finalmente, la organización reiteró su llamado a priorizar la inversión social y a fortalecer las instituciones encargadas de la protección de la niñez, como una medida urgente para enfrentar una problemática que, según sus datos, se ha mantenido durante más de una década en Honduras.
2020,caravana de migrantes hondureños a estados unidos,crisis migratoria,deportaciones,deportados,exterior,mujer,niño
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