Three of the 20 ships added to the US blacklist this week called on a key Iranian port more than two

years ago, according to United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI).

The New York-based pressure group said it detected the 75,386-cbm Dolphin (built 1994) and the
45,000-dwt Forever Rich (built 2015) calling on Assaluyeh in late 2020, while the 45,000-dwt Yong
Xin (built 2000) visited an FPSO there earlier in the year.

The Dolphin allegedly called on Assaluyeh, where there are gas and petrochemical export facilities,
in November 2020. The Forever Rich was docked there in September. The Yong Xin allegedly loaded
oil at an Iranian floating storage, production and offloading unit (FPSO) in February.

Pro-sanctions UANI routinely uses satellite imagery and automatic identification system data to track
ships that call on Iran to transport sanctioned cargoes. The group also sends letters to the ships’ flag
states, insurers and classification societies to attempt to have them drop coverage.

The Dolphin is connected to a Vietnamese company called Golden Lotus Oil Gas and Real Estate Joint
Stock Company, which the US singled out as having engaged in “a significant transaction” for Iranian
petroleum products.

The Forever Rich and Yong Xin are in the fleet of Shanghai Xuanrun.

The third shipping company sanctioned is a Dubai outfit called Swedish Management.

The US did not detail exactly what got the companies and ships sanctioned, besides doing business
with Iran's petrochemical and petroleum industries, though TradeWinds found shipping databases
list the Dolphin as falsely flagged in Sao Tome and Principe and the 19,900-dwt tanker Amias (built
2007) called on Venezuela.

The US State Department said on Thursday that Hanoi-based Golden Lotus Oil Gas and Real Estate
Joint Stock Company had engaged in “a significant transaction” for Iranian petroleum products and
was blacklisting its eight-ship fleet.

“The United States is committed to significantly reducing Iranian energy exports and will sanction
those facilitating Iran’s petroleum and petrochemical trade,” secretary of state Antony Blinken said
in a statement.

The company owns a mix of tankers, gas carriers and bulkers.

It is unclear which of its vessels are engaged in the problematic trades, but a review of automatic
identification data shows the 19,900-dwt tanker Amias (built 2007) currently offshore Venezuela,
where it stopped in September and November.

Another one of Golden Lotus’ ships, the 75,386-cbm LPG carrier Dolphin (built 1994), was also
blacklisted. Shipping databases said the vessel is falsely flagged in Sao Tome and Principe and has
changed names multiple times in the last four years.

Venezuela is also under US sanctions and so-called “flag-hopping” has been identified by the US as
something sanctions evaders regularly engage in.

TradeWinds previously reported Golden Lotus had started building its fleet in early 2020, adding a
Greek-owned tanker and five from compatriot owner Nhat Viet Transport.
Golden Lotus reportedly had six ships chartered to Vietnamese petrochemical outfits. A Nhat Viet
executive denied there was any connection between the two companies.

The other sanctioned companies include Dubai-based Swedish Management, which owns a livestock
carrier, two tugs and three bulkers.

Also added to the list is China’s Shanghai Xuanrun, whose fleet consists of six tankers and an LPG
carrier.

Another Chinese company, Global Marine Ship Management, was also sanctioned, although none of
the ships in its stead were blacklisted.

The US also added Iranian firms Shiraz Petrochemical Co and Bushehr Petrochemical Co to its
sanctions list.

Contact information could not be found for Golden Lotus, Swedish Management or Bushehr
Petrochemical.

Shiraz Petrochemical and Global Marine Ship Management have been approached for comment.

A website for Shanghai Xuanrun appeared to be down and contact information was unavailable.