As tensions continue to mount between the U.S. and Iran over the Israel-Hamas war and Iranian-backed Houthis attacking commercial vessels in the Red Sea, there's word that Iran is skirting U.S. oil sanctions. A new report says Iran is using a "Ghost Armada" of tanker ships to continue exporting crude oil in violation of U.S. sanctions, with most of that oil going to China. The Ghost Armada involves hundreds of old tanker ships flagged for different countries that largely evade location tracking while transporting Iranian oil. According to the report, Iranian oil exports have quadrupled since President Joe Biden took office.
A group of 15 members of Congress recently sent a letter asking the Biden administration to crack down on these ghost ships. Energy experts agree this is an economic and national security issue. "There are a lot of things from an energy perspective that this administration is just not getting right, and this Iranian situation is yet another example," says David Holt, president of the Consumer Energy Alliance.
Holt tells KTRH the administration is allowing Iran to skirt sanctions, while continuing to limit domestic oil and energy production. "They're proposing the fewest offshore lease sales in history, after they've had the fewest onshore lease sales in history," he says. "And now, they're saying they might restrict LNG (liquid natural gas) exports, which is one of the great things we can use to push back on Russia and other hostile nations in the energy market."
"Unfortunately, this administration seems to want to turn a blind eye to how vital and critical oil and natural gas are to the world, and to folks here at home," Holt continues. "They are a critical resource, both for national security, for domestic security, and for our own personal family security."