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Panama Maritime Authority expelled three sanctioned tankers
The Panama Maritime Authority has expelled three tankers, that were sanctioned days ago by the USA, in the ongoing efforts to pressure Iran. While regularly monitoring its registry for violators, the authority had already dealt with the vessels included in the recent UK sanctions package. The authority highlighted that it must follow a prescribed procedure to notify vessels and revoke their registry while having increased its efforts and enacting new legislation to expedite the removal process. In the first six months after the Executive Decree was invoked, Panama reports a total of 107 sanctioned vessels were removed from its registry. Three more were in the process. As the largest registry by number of ships, Panama has historically noted the challenges of monitoring all the vessels under its flag. Currently, it has approximately 7,700 flag vessels representing more than 196 million gross registry tons. The U.S. Treasury reported its latest efforts on Oct 8, 2026, as part of the Operation Economic Outcast, listing a total of 17 tankers as part of the efforts to further tighten the restrictions on the fleet of shadow tankers supporting Iran’s oil operations. The U.S. effort included vessels operating under a broad range of flags, including Comoros, Bahamas, Palau, Mongolia, Cameroon, Zanzibar, Sierra Leone, Vanuatu, Hong Kong, San Marino, Gambia, and notably three tankers registered in Panama. Panamanian officials noted that they have already restricted the three vessels listed by the United States and, according to databases, one of the ships has already changed its flag. AMP officials said the full removal of the vessels is in process. The 'Starway' was listed in the databases as having moved its flag in September to Barbados, after sailing under the Panama flag for approximately two years. The ship was Chinese-managed and owned by a corporation registered in the Marshall Islands. The U.S. Treasury accused the vessel of having transported over three million barrels of Iranian naphtha since 2025. The 'Mackerel' has been in the Panama registry for three years. The vessel, which was built in 2003, was managed from India while its ownership was listed as a corporation in the Marshall Islands. The U.S. authorities reported the tanker has transported over 500,000 barrels of Iranian high-sulfur fuel oil since December 2025. The 'Bitu' has also been registered in Panama since 2024, and it is managed from the UAE. It has transported over 170,000 barrels of Iranian bitumen/asphalt in 2026. The flag states were working to crack down on the so-called practice of “flag hopping,” but it remained a challenge as the vessels pop up in different locations and with different names or go into false-flag operations.
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