The return of US sanctions has seen Panama de-flag a fleet of Iranian tankers.
This is according to an Iranian official cited by Reuters.
The vast majority of the country's tankers had been registered in Panama previously.
A source at Panama’s flag registry said the cancellation “affects approximately 60 Panama-registered ships that are related to Iranian and Syrian owners”.
At least two other tankers registered to Panama - the 160,000-dwt suezmaxes Sarak (ex Rise Destiny) and Sobar (ex Rise Dignity, both built 2001) - have re-registered in Iran.
They were not previously considered part of Iran's fleet.
They are listed as owned by Sun Admiral and Rise Fortune Ventures of the British Virgin Islands. The companies could not be contacted.
More than 20 other tankers in Iran’s fleet have been reflagged to Iran this year, the report said.
State owner NITC is listed with 62 vessels, but this includes seven OSVs. The Equasis database still shows a minority of vessels still flagged in Panama.
It was reported on Wednesday that Iran is still in talks over an order for 10 VLCCs in South Korea as it looks to secure capacity for crude exports.
