The Trump administration granted a license to Dubai-headquartered GMS to
purchase and scrap four containerships sanctioned for links to Iranian cargo
transport, marking a rare authorization involving sanctioned vessels. The ships
— Yogi, Timon, Rantanplan and Bigli — were previously tied by the U.S. to a
shipping network linked to Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani. GMS CEO Anil Sharma said
the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control approved licenses for specific
ships rather than a broad exemption. Richard Meade of Lloyd's List Intelligence
said the move “offers a legitimate route out of the shadow fleet” if expanded
further.
