QITA's Evolving Role in Iranian Shipping

In the complex world of maritime trade, Protection and Indemnity (P&I) clubs play a crucial role. As large pooled mutual insurance organizations, they provide coverage for a wide range of risks that traditional marine insurers would be hesitant to cover, including environmental damage like oil spills, war-related risks, cargo damage claims, and crew injuries. Absent this insurance, vessels cannot legally operate in international waters. 

While the P&I industry has a generally well-deserved reputation for sobriety and seriousness, there is one club that rings loud alarm bells: Iran’s Qeshm International Trust Alliance (QITA). While QITA appears to function like other clubs, in fact, it is a highly troubling entity toward which the maritime industry should exercise extreme caution.

Indeed, any connection to QITA should raise an immediate red flag for legitimate maritime players. While QITA-insured vessels may appear compliant due to their flagging and classification, - the two other critical maritime services needed for large vessels -the fact that they are insured by an Iranian-linked P&I club represents an obvious route for sanctions evasion. QITA’-brokered insurance facilitates the continued movement of sanctioned Iranian oil by providing the necessary coverage that allows these vessels to access international ports and markets—places they might otherwise be barred from due to sanctions.

Some of QITA’s regional Middle East offices include but are not limited to Syria, Yemen, Lebanon, and Sudan—countries where the Islamic Republic and its proxies have significant influence. On the company's PORTS page, when selecting Iran, the terminal that appears is the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas, on the southern coast of Iran, abutting the Persian Gulf.  Bandar Abbas is well-known as being used by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) for various illicit activities, including transporting weapons to the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen. 

In February 2024, the Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) approved QITA as a recognized P&I club. This approval essentially allowed QITA to issue the "Blue Cards" necessary for vessels to gain entry to ports and secure insurance certificates for international maritime conventions. The Panamanian accreditation now provides QITA’s operations a veneer of legitimacy that could be leveraged to further facilitate the movement of Iranian oil under the radar of international sanctions.

In March 2019, AMP removed QITA from its list of approved insurers, likely in response to the reimposition of sanctions and concerns over QITA’s ties to Iran. However, the subsequent re-approval of QITA by Panama in 2024 raises questions about the consistency and enforcement of international regulations designed to curb Iran’s sanctioned activities. By allowing QITA back onto its approved list, Panama may have inadvertently provided a loophole through which even more sanctioned Iranian oil can flow into global markets.

For the global maritime community, QITA’s return to respectability should serve as a stark reminder of the importance of due diligence. The potential for sanctions evasion through seemingly legitimate means poses a significant challenge to the enforcement of international law.

Specific Vessels Insured by QITA

Below is a list of vessels currently insured by QITA, including their flags and classification societies. This chart highlights the extent to which vessels flagged and classed by legitimate Western authorities are connected to QITA, raising concerns about the potential for sanctions evasion.

Italicized vessels are sanctioned by the U.S.

In conclusion, while QITA operates as a P&I club similar to others in the industry, as an Iranian company, it is a particularly concerning entity. The approval by the Panama Maritime Authority, despite earlier removals, facilitates the transport of sanctioned Iranian oil under the guise of compliance with international norms. As the global community continues to address the challenges posed by sanctions, the activities of QITA and similar entities will require close monitoring and decisive action to prevent the circumvention of international sanctions and curb Iran’s malign behavior on the world stage.