WikIran reveals a new network of tankers that serve the shadow fleet of the AFGS, managed and supervised by the Sepehr Energy Jahan (SEJ), an Iranian front company for oil export. Wikiran exposes how SEJ continues to evade US sanctions and reveal a new tactic: Identity theft of real, existing vessels for camouflage purposes.

Recent leaks confirm that Sepehr Energy Jahan (SEJ), designated by the US Treasury, has operated oil export infrastructure for years under the radar, funding the Iranian security apparatus. Now, a new leak from the servers of Shahid Abolfathi Oil Command uncover clear evidence that SEJ continues to illegally export oil through its shadow fleet.

The leaked data includes records of over 100 vessels that have facilitated and supported the illegal export of Iranian crude oil, directly fueling the financial empowerment of the Iranian security entities, including the IRGC and Quds Force. Among them, 20 vessels are already sanctioned by OFAC, yet they continue to export oil under the AFGS:

In addition, the leak contains 11 vessels that were used by SEJ and were sanctioned recently due to these connections:

A key mechanism in SEJ’s sanction evasion strategy is changing the names of the contracting vessels after being designated, and thus enabling them to operate under new identities and escape the consequences of the sanctions.

For non-designated vessels, the picture is more complicated. As previously documented in our SEJ vessels article, the Iranian shadow fleet routinely employs unusual flags, particularly Panama and Guyana, to obscure illicit activity. The newly leaked data confirms that this pattern remains consistent, with the use of the flag of Panama in first place, followed by Iran and then Guyana.

WikIran has identified 13 non-designated vessels, now exposed as part of the fleet of the Iranian Security Forces:

These tankers have been documented as carrying out seemingly routine oil shipments while operating under Iranian front companies - exporting millions of barrels of Iranian oil every month for the Iranian Security Forces.

It is well known that SEJ and other Iranian oil exporters are using notorious name-changing tactic to evade sanctions. Now, we can present hard evidence that SEJ is not only forging vessel names, but also stealing the identities of existing, legitimate vessels. The scheme involved using the details of legitimate vessels and passing them on to the relevant agents while the actual vessel carrying the oil remains designated.

Perhaps the most striking example of a suspected vessel identity deception is the recently designated KALLISTA (IMO: 9411965). A document that was found in the recent leak labels KALLISTA as a “Vessel Fake Name”, while the "Vessel Real Name" listed is LIMAS, a vessel previously designated under the name KOHANA (IMO: 9254082). The document outlines expenses related to sails made under the stolen identity, with timestamps partially aligning with other records linking KALLISTA to shipments of Iranian crude oil.

Following the misuse of its identity, the vessel KALLIATA was subject to secondary sanctions by the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), severely disrupting its ability to participate in legitimate international trade. The case underscores a critical vulnerability in maritime enforcement: Without stronger, more reliable mechanisms to verify and track vessels identities, such cases of sophisticated identity theft will continue to lead to wrongful designations – potentially implication innocent vessels and undermining the integrity of sanctions regimes.

The KALLISTA is not an isolated incident: to conceal the sanctioned vessel SARAK (IMO: 9226968), SEJ was using the vessel FLEVES (IMO: 9597006), a legitimate vessel flying the Liberian flag.

Evidence suggest SEJ agents obtained original documentation of FLEVES and passed it the master of SARAK, enabling the falsification of vessel identity records.

The following email was sent in November 2024 from SEJ to the SARAK vessel master:

Among the documents attached was a photocopy the FLEVES vessel official stamp and a draft of a Q88 document, designed to allow insertion of false vessel information:

The next example also related to the FLEVES vessel. SEJ asked the master of the SARAK vessel for the following:

In response, SEJ received a follow-up email with a scanned document with the real name stamped, as requested:

Notable, the master of the vessel SARAK is MUHAMMAD YOUNAS, the same individual listed as the master of the FLEVES vessel:

Another case involves of the SOBAR vessel (IMO: 9221970), which is operated under the cover of the PETALIDI vessel (IMO: 9529475), another legitimate Liberian-flagged vessel.

The evidence is unequivocal: PETALIDI is being used as a cover name for the SOBAR. On 30 November 2024, SEJ sent an email titled “MT PETALIDI/procedure for documentation” to the SOBAR vessel master, attaching the following message:

In response, the vessel master sent the scanned file with the real name stamp, as requested:

And once again, the SOBAR master is listed as the master of the PETALIDI:

The next day, the SOBAR master sent an e-mail to SEJ with the following document:

These are not isolated incidents. They represent a systematic, coordinated mechanism, which is central to the way SEJ and the AFGS conduct their oil export.

One question remains unsolved, and the answer to it could be dangerous: Could there be any cooperation between SEJ and the owners of stolen identity vessels, or is SEJ employing a more sophisticated method, one that allows it to steal or obtain access to original vessels documents without consent?

WikIran cannot confirm this yet, but we issue a clear warning to all vessel owners: Be vigilant. Iranian oil schemes are evolving and one morning you might find yourself on the OFAC sanctions list.

SEJ remains a sanctioned Iranian oil export company responsible for exporting millions of barrels of crude oil monthly through a shadow network built on deception, sanction-evasion and identity theft. Each of the aforementioned vessels has, knowingly or unknowingly, facilitated the export Iranian oil for purposes that are neither innocent nor humanitarian, and potentially secured themselves a spot on OFAC's next sanctions list.

Full List of vessels click HERE