Tuvalu deregisters Iranian controlled ships

SEPTEMBER 21, 2012 — Twenty-nine vessels controlled by the National Iranian Tanker Company or its front companies have had to haul down the flag of the tiny polynesian island nation of Tuvalu.

NITC’s use of the Singapore-based Tuvalu International Ship Registry, which is reportedly run by Tuvalu’s honorary consul in Singapore, Chong Koy Sen, was the subject of a doubtless unwelcome report by The Wall Street Journal on July 13.

By August 10, the Tuvalu Government had told the Tuvalu registry to boot the NITC vessels. On September 13, the registry said that by September 22 it registration of all NITC vessels or Iranian-linked vessels would cease to be valid and there will no NITC vessels or Iranian-linked vessels registered under Tuvalu.

Today, the registry said there is now “not a single NITC vessel or Iranian-linked vessel registered under the Tuvalu flag” and that “any persons and/or organizations that are presented with vessel documents issued by Tuvalu belonging to any of the NITC vessels listed [below] are advised to exercise vigilance and caution and reject the acceptance of these registry certificates as the registration of the vessels are officially closed and as such the certificates are no longer valid and should not be used for any purpose.”