Malaysian waters remain a hub for Iranian oil transfers despite US pressure on service firms

Companies operating off Malaysia continue to serve tankers carrying Iranian oil despite US threats against maritime service providers, according to a New York Times report republished by Business Standard. It says Iranian tankers gather in the Eastern Outer Port Limits, about 45 miles off Johor, to transfer crude to ships bound for China's independent "teapot" refineries. The area lies outside Malaysia's territorial waters but inside its exclusive economic zone, and the report says Malaysian authorities rarely act, citing jurisdictional and practical difficulties. Ships in the trade often use false flags, manipulate their transponders and paint over their names, it adds. Charlie Brown, an adviser at United Against Nuclear Iran, told the paper: "The shadow fleets can't function without them."

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