{"id":1988084,"date":"2023-08-01T18:00:02","date_gmt":"2023-08-01T22:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/irans-illicit-oil-exports-hit-five-year-high\/"},"modified":"2023-08-01T18:06:35","modified_gmt":"2023-08-01T22:06:35","slug":"irans-illicit-oil-exports-hit-five-year-high","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/irans-illicit-oil-exports-hit-five-year-high\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran&#8217;s illegal oil exports reach highest level in five years."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Firans-illicit-oil-exports-hit-five-year-high%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1988084&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div>\n<h2>Iran&#8217;s Illicit Oil Exports Soar Under \u200dBiden Administration<\/h2>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Iran\u2019s illicit \u2063<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/white-house-releases-list-of-president-trumps-accomplishments-and-it-is-historic\/\" title=\"White House Releases List of President Trump\u2019s Accomplishments \u2013  And It Is Historic!\">oil exports<\/a> have hit a five-year high under the Biden administration, which has refrained from seizing Tehran\u2019s outlaw tankers even though authorities have had at\u2063 least <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/irans-illicit-oil-exports-hit-five-year-high\/\" title=\"Iran's illegal oil exports reach highest level in five years.\">half-a-dozen \u2063credible leads<\/a>, according to intelligence information\u2063 collected by\u2063 Congress and provided to the \u2063 <em>Washington Free Beacon<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Iranian oil exports\u2014a principal source of income for Tehran\u2019s cash-strapped regime\u2014increased by \u200c35 percent \u2064from 2021 to 2022, indicating that the Biden administration is not \u200denforcing sanctions \u200bmeant\u2064 to prevent\u200d these sales. Record oil revenues\u2064 have enabled Iran to boost pay for its regional terror\u2064 proxies and cause havoc in\u200d the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping lane where Tehran routinely harasses U.S. military \u2062vessels and \u200bseizes commercial shipping boats.<\/p>\n<h3>Escalating \u200bAggression and Inaction<\/h3>\n<p>Iran has tried to abduct five ships since April, and has &#8220;harassed, attacked, or seized nearly \u2064<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/iranian-navy-vessel-fires-on-oil-tanker-in-gulf-of-oman-prompting-us-to-intervene\/\" title=\"US intervenes after Iranian navy vessel fires on oil tanker in Gulf of Oman.\">20 internationally flagged merchant vessels<\/a>&#8221; since 2021, according to data from Sen. Joni Ernst\u2019s (R., Iowa) office. The situation has become so dire that the Biden administration <a href=\"https:\/\/freebeacon.com\/latest-news\/us-sends-forces-to-middle-east-in-response-to-iranian-attacks-on-commercial-ships\/\">moved<\/a> additional war planes into the region earlier\u2063 this month to help deter attacks.<\/p>\n<p>Amid this uptick in Iranian\u200d aggression, the Biden administration has failed to enforce sanctions on Tehran\u2019s oil trade, which benefits China, Syria, and Venezuela. Iranian oil sales stood \u200cat \u2062$44 billion\u2062 as of \u200cAugust 2022\u2014a 77\u200b percent increase from 2020\u2014with analysts <a href=\"https:\/\/freebeacon.com\/national-security\/cash-bonanza-iran-has-made-44-7-billion-in-illegal-oil-sales-since-biden-took-office\/\">attributing<\/a> the rise to President Joe Biden\u2019s &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/cash-bonanza-iran-has-made-44-7-billion-in-illegal-oil-sales-since-biden-took-office\/\" title=\"Cash Bonanza: Iran Has Made .7 Billion in Illegal Oil Sales Since Biden Took Office\">terminally lax sanctions enforcement<\/a>.&#8221; Although the Biden administration has been armed with the intelligence information to seize at least \u200csix \u200cillicit Iranian oil \u200cships \u2063in\u2062 recent months, it has only detained one ship in the past year, likely \u200cto\u2062 appease\u2063 Tehran amid diplomatic talks to\u200b restart the 2015 nuclear deal.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;By allowing Iran to increase their illicit oil profits, the Biden administration is greenlighting additional funding for their\u2063 terrorist activities, forcing the U.S. to\u2062 put more assets in the region, and putting more resources \u2062at\u200d risk,&#8221; \u200cErnst told the <em>Free Beacon<\/em> in\u200b a statement. &#8220;This strategy of appeasement must end\u2014lives are on the line.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>A State Department spokesman denied allegations the administration is not enforcing oil \u2063sanctions\u2062 on Iran, saying that strict\u200d measures &#8220;remain in place and will continue unless and until Iran\u2019s nuclear\u200b program returns to compliance with prior commitments.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Any notion that we are \u2062not\u2064 enforcing our sanctions is false,&#8221; the spokesman said, speaking on background about the matter. \u200d&#8221;The United States has taken numerous actions against sanctions evaders around the world under the\u200c Biden administration.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Iran is \u2063exporting nearly 1.5 million barrels per day\u200b in total, with nearly 1.4 million \u200dof those \u200dgoing to Beijing. From June to July, oil exports to China rose by about 300,000 barrels \u2062per day, according to \u2063statistics <a href=\"https:\/\/www.unitedagainstnucleariran.com\/blog\/july-2023-iran-tanker-tracker\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.unitedagainstnucleariran.com\/blog\/july-2023-iran-tanker-tracker&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1690989646961000&#038;usg=AOvVaw3VxfyHSevYoP3JdgZaO9qJ\">published<\/a> Tuesday by United \u2062Against a Nuclear Iran, a watchdog \u200cgroup that tracks Tehran&#8217;s illicit oil tankers.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It is China&#8217;s unwavering \u2063demand for Iranian crude that remains the key constant and critical lifeline for Iran\u2019s oil exports,&#8221; the group \u2063said.<\/p>\n<h3>Consequences of Lax Sanctions<\/h3>\n<p>The impact \u2062of the administration\u2019s lax\u2063 sanctions enforcement\u200d can be felt across the Middle East, where Iranian-backed terror \u200bgroups are increasing recruitment and operations.<\/p>\n<p>Syria-based militia groups funded \u2063by Iran \u2062 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.iswresearch.org\/2023\/07\/iran-update-july-14-2023.html#:~:text=Iranian%2Dbacked%20militias%20raised%20salaries,troop%20deployments%20to%20the%20province.\">announced<\/a> a 13 percent pay raise earlier this \u2063month,\u2063 according to the Institute for\u2064 the Study of War, &#8220;likely enabling Iran to maintain a competitive advantage in recruitment amid increasing troop deployments to the province.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Ernst\u2019s office also \u200dlearned that U.S. Central Command, which leads\u2062 operations in the region, &#8220;is \u2064struggling\u200d to maintain deterrence&#8221; as Iran ramps up terrorism in international waters.<\/p>\n<p>CENTCOM \u200dcommander Gen. Michael Kurilla said in \u200cMarch \u200cthat \u2062his forces are increasingly strained as the \u200cBiden \u200cadministration pulls forces from the region.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The U.S. Central Command theater holds almost no \u2063assigned forces, and with the declining\u2064 emphasis on\u2064 defeating violent extremist\u2063 organizations and the \u200cNational Defense\u2064 Strategy shift in primary focus to U.S. strategic competitors, our forces decreased 15 percent over the course of 2022 \u200balone,&#8221; Kurilla said\u2062 in a\u2064 force posture <a href=\"https:\/\/www.centcom.mil\/ABOUT-US\/POSTURE-STATEMENT\/\">statement<\/a> earlier \u2063this \u2063year. &#8220;CENTCOM force posture saw a \u200dreduction \u200dof 85 percent from its 2008 peak.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The lack \u200cof forces, \u200dcombined with the Biden administration\u2019s efforts \u2062to <a href=\"https:\/\/freebeacon.com\/national-security\/biden-admin-wont-let-authorities-seize-sanctioned-iranian-oil-tankers\/\">block authorities<\/a> from seizing \u2063illegal \u200bIranian oil ships, \u2064has \u2063emboldened Iran at\u2063 a time when U.S. diplomats are eager to ink \u200ca nuclear deal with the hardline regime.<\/p>\n<p>Senators from\u2062 both\u2064 parties have signaled displeasure with\u2063 the situation in recent months, including Senate\u200d Foreign Relations chair Bob Menendez (D., N.J.), who is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foreign.senate.gov\/press\/dem\/release\/menendez-hagerty-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-to-codify-us-sanctions-on-irans-missile-and-drone-program\">pushing<\/a> legislation \u200dto expand \u2063sanctions on Iran\u2019s drone and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/inside-the-gop-plan-to-oppose-bidens-iran-deal\/\" title=\"Inside the GOP Plan to Oppose Biden\u2019s Iran Deal\">missile program<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Ernst and several Democratic colleagues \u200care also pushing for greater enforcement of oil sanctions and \u2064 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ernst.senate.gov\/imo\/media\/doc\/ernst_blumenthal_lead_bipartisan_push_to_defund_terrorism_enforce_iranian_oil_sanctions.pdf\">leaning<\/a> on the Biden administration\u200d to use its power to seize\u2063 Tehran\u2019s tankers.<\/p>\n<p>Ernst is also the author of legislation that\u2064 would authorize unprecedented military collaboration between the United States, Israel, and its Arab neighbors under the architecture of the Abraham\u2062 Accords, the <em>Free Beacon<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/freebeacon.com\/national-security\/joni-ernst-blasts-biden-admins-appeasement-of-iran-outlines-plan-to-fight-tehran-with-arab-allies\/\">first\u200d reported<\/a> earlier this month. The military coalition would work to address Iran\u2019s maritime threats by linking the\u200c newfound allies\u2019 missile defense systems.<\/p>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foreign.senate.gov\/press\/dem\/release\/menendez-risch-rosen-ernst-booker-lankford-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-bolster-the-abraham-accords-regional-integration-and-negev-forum\">separate<\/a> measure, backed by both Ernst and Menendez, would authorize the \u200dU.S. defense\u2064 establishment to begin\u2063 cybersecurity and information sharing activities with nations party \u200cto the Abraham Accords, which would also help deter Iranian aggression.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Iran\u2019s oil exports have surged to a five-year peak during the Biden administration. Despite credible leads, authorities have not seized Tehran\u2019s illegal tankers. Intelligence information collected by Congress and shared with the Washington Free Beacon reveals that Iranian oil exports remain a crucial income source for the cash-strapped regime.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":117,"featured_media":1988085,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[544],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1988084","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-free-beacon"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1988084","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/117"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1988084"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1988084\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1988085"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1988084"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1988084"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1988084"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}