Iran-linked vessels suspected in Myanmar fuel trade

2026-01-27 - 09:49

MYANMAR — Myanmar’s military is importing aviation fuel through a covert network of so-called “ghost ships”, allowing it to carry out deadly air strikes despite international sanctions, according to a new Amnesty International investigation. The rights group said the junta is using sanction-evasion tactics similar to those employed by Iran, Russia and North Korea, including vessels that switch off or manipulate their Automatic Identification System (AIS) tracking to conceal their movements. Amnesty analysed shipping, satellite, trade and port authority data and confirmed at least nine aviation fuel shipments delivered to Myanmar by four vessels between mid-2024 and the end of 2025. The ships frequently changed names, flags or ownership and conducted ship-to-ship fuel transfers at sea, making the origin of the fuel difficult to trace. Despite sanctions aimed at cutting off supplies, Myanmar imported at least 109,604 metric tonnes of aviation fuel in 2025, a 69% increase from 2024 and the highest volume since the military seized power in February 2021, according to Myanmar Port Authority data. Amnesty said evidence points to possible links with Iran. Two vessels involved in deliveries to Myanmar are under US sanctions and have a history of exporting fuel believed to originate from Iran. Satellite imagery reviewed by Amnesty placed some ships at Iran’s Bandar Abbas port, even when tracking data suggested they were elsewhere, indicating deliberate manipulation. The organisation said 2025 has become the deadliest year on record for aerial attacks by Myanmar’s military since the coup. “Five years after the takeover, the junta continues to evade sanctions and find new ways to import the fuel it uses to bomb civilians,” said Montse Ferrer, Amnesty International’s regional research director. She urged governments and companies to take stronger action to disrupt the supply chain, warning that continued inaction would cost lives.