Guyana says US-seized tanker “fraudulently” used its flag

Guyana’s Maritime Administration said a tanker seized by the United States on suspicion of carrying sanctioned Iranian oil had been operating under its flag fraudulently.

In an official statement, the agency said the vessel is not registered in Guyana, making its claimed registration “false and fraudulent.”

According to the administration, the tanker previously operated under the name Phonix and appears on sanctions lists maintained by the US Treasury.

Officials added that although the vessel has changed its name, its International Maritime Organization (IMO) number remains unchanged and corresponds to records for Phonix in international databases. No such vessel is listed in Guyana’s national shipping registry.

By Tamilla Hasanova