Eswatini
Landlocked kingdom in southern Africa.
The US Treasury on 4 November 2026 designated an unauthorised ship registry trading on Eswatini's name. Treasury says it still flags tankers carrying Iranian oil, including the sanctioned PING SHUN, although Eswatini's authorities have publicly disowned it.
Last refreshed: 8 November 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
How did a landlocked kingdom end up flagging Iranian oil tankers?
Timeline for Eswatini
US hits alleged Indian false-flag ring
Iran Conflict 2026Background
Eswatini, formerly Swaziland, is a landlocked kingdom in southern Africa, bordered by South Africa and Mozambique, with Mbabane as its executive capital.
On 4 November 2026 the US Treasury designated the Eswatini Maritime Affairs and International Ship Registry, a Singapore-based company that it says Suniel Kumar Sharma set up in 2023. Treasury says the registry still flags ships carrying Iranian oil, including the sanctioned tanker PING SHUN, although Eswatini's authorities publicly disowned it. The same action targeted the Chandigarh network of Sharma and his wife, which Treasury accuses of selling bogus registrations to Iran's shadow fleet.
Treasury's case describes Eswatini, a state with no coastline, being sold to tankers as a flag of convenience by people its government never authorised.
Does Eswatini have a ship registry for Iranian tankers?
Why did the US sanction a ship registry using Eswatini's name?
Is Eswatini the same as Swaziland?
Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 8 November 2026. Editorial standards.