NCRI – The Iranian regime's state shipping company has changed the names and ownership of most of its vessels to evade U.S. sanctions, but the Treasury Department has yet to update the blacklist that U.S. companies use to verify they are in compliance, the Wall Street Journal said on Saturday citing a new report.
According to the WSJ, the report by the Wisconsin Project on Nuclear Arms Control, a Washington-based nonprofit watchdog states "Iran has made more of an effort to circumvent the sanctions imposed on IRISL(Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines) than the United States has made to enforce them."
The Wisconsin Project report says IRISL has since renamed at least 80 of the 123 vessels in its shipping fleet—often dropping the word "Iran"—but that Treasury's current published list used by U.S. companies continues to include the old names.
For example, the Iran Matin was renamed the Abba, and the Iran Kermanshah was changed to the Acena, the report states.
The report also states that IRISL, in another apparent sanctions-avoiding technique, has been transferring ownership of its ships.