Iraq’s Oil Ministry Denies Links to Tanker Suspected of Ties to Iran’s ‘Shadow Fleet’

The Iraqi Ministry of Oil announced on Monday that the State Organization for Marketing of Oil (SOMO) has no contractual or commercial relationship with the tanker 'Binary Star' (IMO number 9380570). This denial follows reports that the vessel entered the port of Khor Al-Zubair in southern Iraq to load oil shipments during August. Speculation had suggested the vessel was previously linked to the tanker 'Cordus 3', which has been under US, European, and British sanctions since late 2025 for its alleged role in transporting oil products as part of Iran's 'shadow fleet'. SOMO emphasized that all tankers contracted by the company undergo rigorous security and compliance checks before being accepted. The company further stated that it monitors vessel movements in Iraqi waters using advanced tracking systems and shares reports of suspicious activity or tampering with Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) with relevant national security and maritime authorities. SOMO concluded by clarifying that the presence of a tanker in Iraqi territorial waters does not necessarily imply a business relationship, as Iraqi ports receive vessels from various sectors and companies that are not involved in the country's oil export operations.