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An LNG terminal with storage tanks seen from the air
Sanctions

Norway holds Arctic LNG 2 heavy-lift ship as four renamed LNG carriers enter the Kara Sea

Norwegian authorities have detained the sanctioned heavy-lift ship Ya Qing Hai Yang, while four LNG carriers once named North Valley, North Moon, North Ocean and North Light head for the Gulf of Ob under new names.

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Sanctions

US sanctions Karnakis and Karnakis law firm and seven Roxette ships over Iran trade

OFAC has designated the Panama- and Greece-based law firm Karnakis and Karnakis, five people tied to it, the ship manager Roxette and nine vessels for moving Iranian oil, petrochemicals and steel.

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A bulk carrier at sea, seen from above
Sanctions

US fighter jet disables bulker Ocean Molica as she tries to run the Iran blockade

A US jet hit the stern of the bulk carrier Ocean Molica in the Gulf of Oman on 10 October, disabling her propulsion after she left an Iranian port.

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A large ship under construction in a shipyard dry dock
Sanctions

EU's largest Russia listing hits Sevmash, Admiralty Shipyards and submarine design bureaus

The EU has listed 826 Russian companies and 743 executives, including Sevmash, Zvezdochka, Admiralty Shipyards and the Rubin and Malakhit submarine bureaus.

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A shipping port in South Korea seen from a height
Sanctions

Busan manager IOB takes over four Arc4 LNG carriers once built for MOL

Busan-based IOB has started operations with four 174,000 cu m Arc4 LNG carriers built for MOL and plans to add three to six Arc7 ships in 2027.

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A crude oil tanker at sea, seen from above
Sanctions

Japan sanctions 35 shadow fleet ships in its first vessel designations

Japan has designated 35 ships tied to Russian oil exports, its first sanctions on individual vessels: services, financing and crew supply now need permission.

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Big Ben and the Palace of Westminster in London
Sanctions

UK sanctions three Arc7 LNG carriers, including Pyotr Stolypin before her delivery

The UK has sanctioned the Arc7 LNG carriers Aleksey Kosygin, Konstantin Posiet and Pyotr Stolypin, the third still on sea trials, in a 1 October package that listed eight ships.

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A container ship loaded with boxes at sea
Sanctions

Iran says it will sell seized ships including MSC Francesca and Epaminondas as compensation

An Iranian judicial official says commercial ships seized in the war and linked to the US and Israel will be sold to compensate fishermen. MSC Francesca and Epaminondas are held off Bandar Abbas.

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A freight ship sailing along the Bosphorus off Istanbul
Sanctions

Russian cargo ship Yuriy Arshenevskiy sails from Tobruk to Turkish waters after arms delivery

The Russian-flagged Yuriy Arshenevskiy left Tobruk after a convoy delivered military vehicles to eastern Libya, passed the Dardanelles and turned for Tuzla short of the Bosporus.

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An oil tanker with smaller vessels alongside
Sanctions

Three VLCCs stopped under the Iran blockade head across the Atlantic towards the US

Three VLCCs stopped by US forces under the Iran blockade, Tifani, Majestic X and Lenore, are sailing towards the United States with about six million barrels of Iranian crude.

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Sanctions

US Sanctions the Crypto Exchange Behind Iran's Hormuz Transit Fees

OFAC has sanctioned BitBank, the cryptocurrency exchange used to process payments to the IRGC-linked HormuzSafe scheme that charges commercial vessels for passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

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A magnifying glass over a chart of the Strait of Hormuz
Sanctions

Iran's Hormuz Blacklist Reaches 77 Ships and Now Warns Insurers and Class Societies

Iran's self-declared Persian Gulf Strait Authority has taken its Strait of Hormuz blacklist to 77 named ships and warned insurers, P&I clubs and classification societies to stop servicing them.

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Aerial view of a gas carrier alongside a liquefied gas terminal
Sanctions

EU Ports Took 156 Yamal Cargoes in Eight Months Before the January Ban

EU ports received 156 Yamal LNG shipments totalling 11.39m tonnes in the first eight months of 2026, 10% more than a year earlier, three months before the import ban takes effect.

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Tankers alongside at an oil products terminal
Sanctions

Yemen Coast Guard Stops the Tanker Nereida After a Call at Ras Isa

The Yemen Coast Guard has stopped the sanctioned product tanker Nereida after a delivery at the Houthi-controlled port of Ras Isa, saying the ship entered without permits or UN inspection.

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A freight ship under way in coastal waters
Sanctions

Sanctioned Russian Roro Lady Mariia Reported Struck by Drones off Crete

The sanctioned Russian roro Lady Mariia was reportedly hit by drone-dropped munitions near Crete while heading east towards Syria. Neither side has confirmed the strike.

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LNG carrier design illustration, representing ice-class gas carrier construction
Sanctions

Putin Inspects the Arc7 LNG Carrier Pyotr Stolypin at the Zvezda Yard

The Russian president visited the Zvezda complex at Bolshoy Kamen on 2 September to inspect an icebreaking LNG carrier built for a project whose scale has been cut back by sanctions.

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Crude oil tanker under way, illustrating tanker traffic in the Strait of Hormuz
Sanctions

Iran Turns on Inbound Tankers and Lengthens Its Non-Compliant List to 57

Iranian forces have started striking and turning back tankers heading into the Persian Gulf, while the IRGC's list of non-compliant vessels has grown from 46 to 57 in a week.

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Warship with a helicopter on deck, illustrating naval operations in the Strait of Hormuz
Sanctions

US Strike on Larak Island Pre-empts a Rocket-Launched Sea Mine Barrage

CENTCOM fired on IRGC positions on Larak Island to destroy two Iranian rockets about to be launched, in what appears to have been an attempt to re-mine the Strait of Hormuz.

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Vessel alongside in a northern Norwegian settlement
Sanctions

Norway Seizes the Professor Molchanov at Barentsburg on a Naftogaz Crimea Claim

A Russian research vessel turned expedition cruise ship has been seized in Svalbard on behalf of Naftogaz, which holds a $4.22bn award over assets lost in Crimea in 2014.

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Product tanker loading at a refinery berth
Sanctions

Russia Extends Its Diesel and Marine Fuel Export Ban to 30 September

Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure have squeezed the domestic fuel market, which is the stated reason for holding the barrels at home.

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LNG carrier under way at sea
Sanctions

Danish Yard Takes a Third Russian-Linked LNG Tanker Before the January Ban

The Boris Davydov has delivered at least 50 Yamal cargoes worth some $2.2bn since her last visit to the same yard in 2023.

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LNG carrier under way
Sanctions

TotalEnergies Completes Its Exit from Russia's Arctic LNG 2

TotalEnergies has transferred its 10 percent interest in Arctic LNG 2 to Novatek subsidiary NordLine, retaining a claim to about $1.3 billion in shareholder loans.

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Aerial view transportation crude oil tanker oil st
Sanctions

Washington Moves to Revive Prize Courts for Seized Merchant Vessels

The US administration is moving to revive the prize court, a tribunal for determining the legality of seizing enemy merchant vessels, untested since the Second World War.

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Merchant vessel lying at anchor off a commercial port
Sanctions

Sanctioned Container Ship Reaches Iranian Port Despite US Blockade

An Iranian-affiliated container ship under US Treasury sanctions has reached an Iranian port despite the naval blockade, hours after Washington announced a new phase of economic pressure on Tehran.

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Aerial view of a laden crude oil tanker at sea
Sanctions

Oman Signals Progress on Joint Hormuz Shipping Corridor With Iran

Oman's foreign minister says talks with Iran on jointly managing a Strait of Hormuz shipping corridor are advancing, with a single temporary lane expected to replace the current two-corridor system.

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Laden tanker under way on open water leaving a dark wake
Sanctions

Iran Approves Transit Service Fees for Authorised Ships in Hormuz

Iran's parliamentary security commission has approved a schedule of service fees for vessels it authorises to transit the Strait of Hormuz, payable in rials or a currency of Tehran's choosing.

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Tanker under way at sea leaving a dark wake
Sanctions

US Treasury Sets Cure Period Before Iran Banking Sanctions

Washington has signalled secondary sanctions on foreign banks working with five Iranian sectors including shipping, but is allowing a cure period for self-correction.

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Tanker traffic approaching the Strait of Hormuz
Sanctions

Iran Blacklists 45 Ships as OFAC Warns Against Hormuz Compliance

Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority has published a 45-ship non-compliance list, while Washington warns that even responding to its requests can trigger sanctions.

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An oil tanker at dry dock
Sanctions

Iraq Secures Iranian Approval for Oil Tanker Transit Through Hormuz

Iran has granted permission for Iraqi oil tankers to transit the Strait of Hormuz following repeated requests from Baghdad, though the arrangement remains complicated.

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An oil tanker at dry dock for maintenance
Sanctions

Russian Urals Crude Tops Brent in India for First Time Since May

Russian Urals crude for October delivery to India has been offered at a premium over Dated Brent for the first time since May, as drone attacks constrain loadings from Novorossiysk.

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An oil and chemical tanker at sea, seen from the air
Sanctions

Washington Readies New Iran Sanctions and Presses China Over Hormuz

Scott Bessent has promised the toughest sanctions in history against Iran and called on China, which took over 80% of Iran's shipped oil in 2025, to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

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A laden tanker underway in open water
Sanctions

US Night Convoys Move 10 Million Barrels a Day Through the Strait of Hormuz

US forces are escorting 15 to 20 tankers a night through the Strait of Hormuz on a southern route hugging Oman, moving around 10 million barrels of oil daily.

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A crude oil tanker alongside a storage terminal, seen from the air
Sanctions

Saudi Arabia Was July's Top Buyer of Russian Seaborne Fuel Oil

Saudi Arabia took 1.1 million tonnes of Russian fuel oil and VGO in July, down 18% on June, as summer power demand kept the discounted barrels flowing east.

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Aerial view of an oil tanker lying at an industrial anchorage
Sanctions

German Court Leaves Eventin Crude Cargo Sale Blocked as Case Drags

The Hamburg Finance Court has closed the expedited track and will wait for the main ruling, keeping customs barred from confiscating or selling the crude.

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Fishing vessels moored alongside an industrial dock
Sanctions

U.S. Sanctions Ten Ecuadorian Fishing Vessels Over Cocaine Runs

Fifteen Ecuadorian individuals and companies and ten fishing vessels have been designated for moving cocaine and supporting go-fast boats bound for Central America and Mexico.

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Two China-linked VLCCs abort Hormuz transits as confirmed passages fall 17 percent
Sanctions

Iran Turns Back Chinese Tanker While Still Holding UAE Product Carrier

The IRGC says it warned off a Chinese oil tanker rather than attacking it, while continuing to detain the UAE-linked product tanker Amara near Larak Island.

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The cut-off closes the free-zone channel that Iranian networks rely on for transactions
Sanctions

UAE Suspends All Trade With Iran After Antiship Missile Strike

The United Arab Emirates has suspended all trade and financial transactions with Iran after two ballistic missiles targeting maritime navigation fell in and near its territorial waters.

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Putin Threatens Mirror Response To EU Seizure Of Shadow Fleet Cargoes
Sanctions

Putin Threatens Mirror Response To EU Seizure Of Shadow Fleet Cargoes

President Vladimir Putin has promised retaliation against any European move to seize merchant ships carrying Russian cargo, describing the measures as piracy and banditry and saying Moscow would respond in kind.

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Loaded crude oil tanker seen from directly above
Sanctions

Iran's New Security Chief Hardens Line On Hormuz Arrangement

Iran's new national security chief has hardened the country's position on transit arrangements through the Strait of Hormuz.

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Container ships berthed at a terminal seen from above
Sanctions

Sanctioned Singapore Container Line SeaLead Ceases Trading

Singapore container carrier SeaLead has gone into voluntary liquidation following its designation by US authorities over alleged Iranian links.

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A red-hulled tanker alone on a grey sea
Sanctions

Russian Black Sea Crude Loadings Fall 62 Percent Under Drone Campaign

Crude loadings from Russian Black Sea and Sea of Azov ports have fallen to 0.98 million barrels a day from 2.59 million under a sustained Ukrainian maritime drone campaign, BIMCO says.

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LNG carrier at a loading terminal
Sanctions

EU still absorbing bulk of Russian Arctic LNG despite phase-out push

Trade-flow data shows Europe took the overwhelming share of Russian Arctic liquefied natural gas in the first six months of the year, even as the bloc works towards ending those imports.

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Product tanker at an oil refinery jetty (illustration)
Sanctions

US targets Mexican cartel fuel smuggling

The US Treasury has sanctioned individuals and entities tied to a cartel-linked fuel smuggling network that uses shadow-fleet vessels and falsified customs documents to move illicit fuel between the US and Mexico.

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An officer on watch at a ship's bridge
Sanctions

Tanker Master Jailed Ten Months For Refusing US Coast Guard Order

A tanker master has been sentenced to ten months in prison and deportation for failing to stop when ordered by the United States Coast Guard during the interdiction of an Iranian crude cargo.

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Aerial view of a red tanker's deck and manifold
Sanctions

Iran's Main Oil Terminal Falls Silent While Gulf Crude Still Moves Through Hormuz

Satellite imagery shows every berth empty at Iran's main crude export terminal with no loading since 31 July, while four to five million barrels a day still pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

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A general cargo ship at sea at sunset
Sanctions

Sanctioned Russian Ship Delivered Armoured Vehicles To Mali Through Togo

A sanctioned Russian cargo ship delivered a consignment of armoured vehicles to Mali through the port of Lome in Togo, having switched off its transponder after clearing the English Channel.

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An analyst working at a bank of monitors
Sanctions

Investigation Links Dozens Of Sanctioned Tanker Operators To One Email Domain

An analytics firm has traced nearly two dozen nominally independent operators of sanctioned tankers back to a single private email domain also used by Russia's state shipping group.

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Aerial view of a tanker alongside a coastal oil storage terminal
Sanctions

Satellite Images Reveal Novatek Terminal And Tank Farm Rising In Kola Bay

Satellite imagery shows at least fifteen gas reservoir tanks and a sea terminal rising at Belokamenka in the Kola Bay, which Novatek has confirmed form part of its heavily sanctioned Murmansk LNG project.

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Vessel Hunter News is written with AI, working from maritime news reporting and the primary documents behind it, to fixed editorial rules. Every article passes an automated quality check before it is published, and Vessel Hunter is responsible for what it says. How our news is made. We correct what we get wrong. Mail contact@vesselhunter.io and tell us what to look at.