UANI Applauds Barbados for Ending Its Reflagging of Iranian Vessels

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 29, 2012
Contact: Nathan Carleton, [email protected]
Phone: (212) 554-3296

UANI Applauds Barbados for Ending Its Reflagging of Iranian Vessels

New York, NY - Today, United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) applauded Barbados for ending its reflagging of Iranian vessels.

In a letter sent October 26 to Barbadian officials, UANI called on the nation to "cease the flagging of all Iranian vessels."

Wrote UANI CEO, Ambassador Mark D. Wallace: "Barbados has reflagged as many as three vessels owned, managed, or operated by the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines ... By collaborating with IRISL, Barbados is undermining U.S., EU, and UN sanctions ..."

UANI has since held discussions with Barbadian officials, as well as officials from another government speaking on behalf of Barbados. This week, Barbados directly informed UANI that it would no longer certify Iranian vessels, and stated that it has "completed the deregistration of all ships with Iranian interests."

UANI accepts this pledge and applauds Barbados for its decision.

Said Ambassador Wallace:

We applaud Barbados for ending its reflagging of Iranian vessels. No country should be reflagging Iranian vessels, given the risks and stakes involved. We thank Barbadian officials for discussing this with UANI, and for acting responsibility. We call on the international community to impose a complete shipping blockade on the Iranian regime.

UANI has highlighted the shipping industry as an area where the international community can further pressure Iran. In a March 17 Wall Street Journal Op-Ed, six UANI board members wrote that "the world must deny Iran's access to international shipping, a move that would severely affect the regime given its dependence on global trade and seaborne crude oil exports."

Barbados joins Hong Kong, Moldova and Mongolia in ending its reflagging of Iranian vessels. All thirteen of the world's major shipping services have now stopped certifying Iranian vessels following UANI's campaign, including Bureau Veritas, Germanischer Lloyd, the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping, Korean Register of Shipping, China Classification Society, and ClassNK.

Click here to read UANI's October 26 letter to Barbados.
Click here to learn more about UANI's Shipping Campaign.

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