by Leonid Tsukanov
[REGNUM] The United States continues Donald Trump's blockade of Venezuela. Recently, American naval forces began massively detaining tankers and other civilian vessels in Latin American waters that they believe pose a threat to U.S. security. However, a sudden incident interrupted this routine.
One of the key workhorses of Iran's "shadow fleet" suddenly fell into US hands (and then just as suddenly slipped away). However, Washington stubbornly disputes this fact.
LESSONS FROM THE PAST
The current "fuel blockade" of Venezuela is not Trump's original invention. Washington and its allies used similar pressure on Iraq during the Persian Gulf War (1990–1991). The only difference was that Iraqi ports were closed to all trade, not just fuel shipments and deliveries.
However, aid to Venezuela arrived quickly—and from the same Gulf. Iran, well acquainted with US tactics of the period, quickly realized that without a UN mandate, Washington likely maintained a symbolic force in the area, sufficient to intercept one or more vessels.
And before the window of opportunity closed, it was decided to "press with force." Tehran dispatched a dozen fuel tankers to Caracas, and almost all of them, apparently, managed to break through to Venezuelan ports and unload: the American naval forces simply couldn't keep up with them all.
This caused a storm of indignation in the White House: the fact that Iranian fuel (even partially) had reached Venezuela delayed the country's gasoline crisis by at least several months. And with it, the psychological effect the Republicans had been seeking was lost.
After this, it was decided to change tactics and unilaterally detain any suspicious vessels in the area and confiscate their contents.
Thus, over the course of a week and a half, several large shipments of oil destined for Venezuela's external counterparties were seized, and two tankers were laid up, one of which had previously carried "gray" Iranian oil.
However, as further developments showed, this was only a “warm-up” before hunting for real prey.
THE SHADOW OF BANDAR ABBAS
Late in the evening of December 20, American sailors spotted a large vessel in the Caribbean Sea heading toward Venezuela. It turned out to be the Guyana-flagged supertanker Bella 1. It turned out to be one of the "stars" of Iran's secret tanker fleet.
The supertanker had been blacklisted by the US and EU countries since at least 2021. It was believed to have been used jointly by Iran and Venezuela for covert fuel shipments to other countries, as well as for resource swaps between Tehran and Caracas.
According to Washington's estimates, in less than five years, it carried at least 20 million barrels of Iranian and Venezuelan oil to China. This was a record figure even by the standards of the "shadow fleet."
To maintain secrecy, the vessel repeatedly changed not only its name and country of registry, but even its silhouette. And, predictably, it remained elusive. For this reason, sailors and enthusiastic researchers jokingly dubbed it the "Shadow of Bandar Abbas," after Iran's main shipping and maritime hub.
Although the name didn't catch on in official broadcasts, it described the tanker's fate well.
It's worth noting that American law enforcement officials discovered just how big the fish was by chance, after checking the files of the shipping company that chartered the Bella 1.
The vessel's owner was identified as Louis Marine Shipholding Enterprises SA, whose branches are registered in Turkey and Panama. It had previously come under scrutiny from American investigators several times for suspected ties to the Iranian "shadow fleet."
In addition, vessels associated with the company were involved in the supply of weapons to Lebanese Hezbollah.
Along the way, details about the Bella 1 were also uncovered. It was discovered that this vessel has a US arrest warrant out for 2024 "for participation in the financing of terrorist organizations."
Given the Americans' numerical and technical superiority, the only thing left to do was to detain the tanker for additional inspections.
However, the vessel ignored the Coast Guard's orders and began dangerous maneuvers, as a result of which the US was unable to land troops on it, as it had done with the previous two detained tankers.
THE LONG CHASE
Taking advantage of the Americans' confusion, the Bella 1 picked up speed. A two-day chase began in the local waters, accompanied by constant radio calls from the tanker's crew.
In total, Bella 1 sent out distress signals no less than 75 times, attempting to contact all ships in the area. Furthermore, the crew signaled at least three times that they were under attack by pirates: the Americans believed this was part of a psychological warfare game.
The vessel was last detected on a marine tracker on Sunday evening. It was approximately 300 miles from Antigua and Barbuda, heading northeast, when it suddenly disappeared from radar. Sailors sent in pursuit also returned empty-handed.
American officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, albeit reluctantly, acknowledge that the tanker "most likely escaped" into the Atlantic Ocean. But they quickly add that the American fleet, located in the same area, is searching for it, and the Bella 1 will no longer be able to escape the trap.
At the same time, most Western media outlets present the seizure of the supertanker as a fait accompli – in reports, it is mentioned on par with the previously arrested ships “Centuries” and “Skipper”.
However, Washington has still not provided video evidence confirming the authenticity of the operation, while in other cases, evidence appeared within hours of the arrest.
Washington also prefers to remain silent about the accompanying difficulties in official reports for now.
Meanwhile, if Bella 1 does manage to escape the danger zone (and judging by indirect signs, the chances of this are high), it will take the US several more years to get back on the trail of the “Shadow of Bandar Abbas”.
Moreover, Tehran is unlikely to intend to repeat the dangerous route anytime soon, at least not using the same vessels.
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