Report Accuses Two Lebanese Companies of ‘Smuggling’ Iranian Oil to Syria

A report accused two "Lebanese" companies of "smuggling" Iranian oil to the Syrian regime, in violation of US sanctions against Tehran, the Saudi Asharq al-Awsat reported on Wednesday.

While some experts stressed “the lack of proof,” others warned against “turning Lebanon into a platform to circumvent the international sanctions,” said the newspaper.

Experts said “this action is harmful to Lebanon, whose credit rating is being watched with concern by international companies."

The daily said it could not contact the two companies to confirm or deny the accusation.

Tankers Trackers - an international oil tanker tracking website, reported that “Lebanese commercial records and ship tracking data showed that two companies owned and operated oil tankers secretly transporting Iranian crude in the Mediterranean to Syria."

It said that "tankers Sandro and Jasmine have stopped broadcasting signals from their positions in the eastern Mediterranean and are transporting Iranian oil to and from other ships off the Syrian coast, a method used by Iran to evade US sanctions."

The report said “tanker Sandro stopped its broadcasting after 5 days, but satellite images of Tanker Trackers agency were able to spot it,” according to Asharq al-Awsat.