“There is a direct connection to Iran here, not an unknown connection”

Additional new details are revealed regarding the route of the Emerald oil tanker, which strengthens the evidence that the source of crude oil that polluted the shores of Israel is in Iran: An inspection conducted by TankerTrackers and passed to the Ministry of Environmental Protection shows that the Emerald tanker, the source of severe pollution on Israeli shores January 17 in front of the Iranian island of Khargh in the Persian Gulf. It is estimated that in this mooring, the tanker loaded Iranian crude oil that eventually reached the shores of Israel.

In addition, as the ministry also noted in its announcement last night (Wednesday), a photocopied permit was found for the operation of transferring oil at sea in the open sea area between Cyprus and Syria. A satellite photo was transferred to the office, according to which on February 14, the emerald tanker transferred crude oil to a tanker carrying an Iranian flag called LOTUS. Satellite imagery shows the connection of the two tankers (STS) in the heart of the sea, and apparently a discharge of Iranian crude oil into the tanker.

A reminder of the Emerald tanker route, which, according to the Ministry of Environmental Protection, polluted the shores of Israel:

• January 17, 2021: New information that the emerald tanker is anchored off the Iranian island of Khargh in the Persian Gulf, and is loaded with an estimated 112,000 tons of crude oil. From there it encircles the entire Persian Peninsula, through the Suez Canal. It is updating its sinking figure to 14.3 meters in the Persian Gulf region, which could indicate a maximum cargo charge between 14 and 18 January 2021.

• February 1, 2021: Emerald enters Egypt’s economic waters. After that, the ship’s signal disappeared and was re-absorbed about 23 hours later, 230 miles north of the point where it disappeared – in circumstances that indicate a passage in the economic waters of the State of Israel. The emerald signal has not been received since that date, about 50 miles from the point where the oil slick was located.

• February 2, 2021: A new photograph of the emerald in the economic waters of Israel west of the shores of Haifa.

• February 5, 2020: Location of the oil slick that was discovered, according to retrospective satellite photos, about 130 km from Israel.

• February 11, 2020: Displacement of the oil slick from the 5th of the month, 50 km off the coast of Israel.

• February 3-14, 2021: Emerald Booklet for Non-Transmitting Vessels, West of Syria. After joining, the ship’s sinker is updated from 14.3 meters to 8.5 meters. Since the tanker did not enter any port, this could indicate the transfer of cargo in the middle of the sea.

• February 14, 2021: A new satellite image of the Emerald transports west to Syria (in the Banias area) using the STS (Ship to Ship) method 750,000 barrels of Iranian crude oil to a tanker called LOTUS – a Syrian ship with an Iranian flag (under sanctions). The previous name of this ship is SANDRO.

• February 17, 2021: Tar blocks land on the shores of Israel and pollute nature and the environment.

It also appears that in December 2020, Emerald changed the ownership from Libya to the ownership and management of a company registered in the Marshall Islands.

The Minister of Environmental Protection, Gila Gamliel, said: “Crude oil at sea is a weapon that works against the environment and public health, against animals and against our beaches. The matter must not be taken lightly, the whole conduct of the ship is intentional. There is a direct connection to Iran here, not an unknown connection. “There is room here for an urgent discussion of all government bodies, including the security bodies, for a broader understanding of the threats to Israel’s economic waters that are not just environmental.”

The photos as provided by TankerTrackers:

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