Last week I learned that Iran may be smuggling crude oil to China through what's called the dark fleet. The dark fleet,according to grok, refers to a shadow fleet of tankers that transport Iranian and Russian oil. Usually by turning off their AIS transponders to avoid detection.
I wondered how any ships were able to load Iranian crude.
Here's what grok had to say:
Iran loads crude primarily at Kharg Island's T-pier and Eastern jetty. Plus the Kuh Mubarak Single-Point mooring buoy in the Gulf of Oman. They use tactics like going dark by turning off AIS, spoofing locations--which grok says is "faking a ship's position data." Tankers broadcast a false location through their AIS system so it looks like they are somewhere else.They hide where they actually are or what transfers they are doing.
Sometimes they blend other crude oil with Iraqi oil.
Ship-to-ship transfers,often for the dark fleet happen at anchorages like the Eastern Outer Port limits off Malaysia.
I further asked which specifically Eastern Outer Port limits off Malaysia are used?
Grok replied the Eastern Outer Port limits or EOPL, off Malaysia's Southern Johor State. This area is in the South China Sea,roughly seventy kilometers or 45 miles off the coast and it's an unofficial anchorage within Malaysia's Exclusive Economic Zone. So as we see the irgc may be smuggling crude oil from points in or near Iran to eventually wind up in China where it is refined by small "teapot" refineries.
Once the oil is delivered to China,once again accd. to grok,Iran gets paid for its smuggled oil to China mostly through barter. the oil is exchanged for Chinese goods,services,or investments and by using hidden bank accounts and "front" companies to handle payments.
I further asked Grok does Iran receive missiles or drones from China in payment for crude oil?
Here is the reply:
There are reports that Iran has been negotiating with Chinese companies to acquire missiles,drones, and air defense systems as payment of oil.
For example Iran International reported in October 2025 that the Revolutionary Guard was negotiating with Haokun Energy Group to settle nearly a billion-dollar oil debt with weapons transfers.
Other reports also mention surface-to-air missiles and shoulder-fired systems being financed through oil shipments.
4,650 posted on 8/2/2026, 6:49:44 AM by rodguy911 (HOME OF THE FREE BECAUSE OF THE BRAVE!! ITS ALL A CONSPIRACY: UNTIL ITS NOT)) [ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4471 | View Replies | Report Abuse]