Washington has asked Panama to ban sanctioned Iranian ships from bearing its flag, a US official said on 13 March.
“Iran and actors related to Iran are trying to evade sanctions here in Panama. They’re trying to abuse Panama’s flag registry,” said Abram Paley, the US Deputy Special Envoy for Iran, on Wednesday.
The request came as Paley was on a visit to Panama, which he said aimed “to ensure Panama’s shipping registry and jurisdiction is not abused by entities attempting to evade our sanctions on Iran.”
Paley added that six vessels that violated US sanctions have flown the Panamanian flag since the start of this year.
“We expect that the Panamanian government will continue to work with us based on their domestic laws and international obligations,” he said. Panama maintains close relations with Washington.
The Central American country is the largest ship registration hub in the world. Over 8,000 vessels sail under its flag, representing about 16 percent of the global fleet.
https://thecradle.co/articles/us-presses-panama-to-clamp-down-on-iran-linked-ships