According to Al Jazeera, the Iraqi National Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO) stated that it has no contractual or commercial relationship with the tanker Binary Star (a tanker sanctioned for transporting Iranian oil products) or its owner or operator. This tanker is on the sanctions lists of the United States and the European Union and has been confirmed to have transported Iranian fuel oil and bitumen in the Gulf region. In a statement, SOMO said that vessels designated for Iraqi crude oil exports undergo compliance reviews and must not appear on relevant international sanctions lists. The statement added that the organization monitors tanker movements in Iraqi waters, including monitoring for potential manipulation of location data and identification signals. The company emphasized that a vessel's presence in Iraqi territorial waters or its appearance on tracking systems does not imply any commercial relationship with SOMO.
