Mystery Surrounds Iranian Arms Ship Anchored off Libya

 

Mystery surrounds a small Iranian cargo vessel that has been anchored off the Libyan port of Tobruk for the last three weeks.

The 23,000 dwt Elyana (IMO 9165827) is linked to the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Line (IRISL), which is subject to secondary sanctions imposed by the U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). Additionally, the MV Elyana has been specifically sanctioned by name.

The ship has an established history of shipping arms for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). In June 2024, the Elyana unloaded an Iranian-origin cargo in Latakia, Syria. At the time, before the fall of then-President Bashar al-Assad, the IRGC used Latakia as a hub for their arms imports. IRGC cargos destined for Hezbollah and the Syrian regime were shipped into the port of Latakia, or flown in by Boeing 747 cargo aircraft flights using Latakia International Airport. 

On its latest journey, the Elyana set off from Bandar Abbas on April 18, making a port call in Jebel Ali - notwithstanding the ship’s sanctioned status - and resuming her voyage on April 21. It is not known what cargo, if any, the Elyana took on at Jebel Ali. But the ship then took a leisurely 13 days to reach the southern end of the Suez Canal without making any declared port call. A transit from Jebel Ali to the Suez Canal normally takes six days. As it is equipped with deck cranes, the Elyana would be capable of offloading cargo at unsophisticated ports en route, potentially being able to do so in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen or in Sudan. 

After transiting the Suez Canal, the Elyana made for Tobruk, Libya, where she has been anchored for the last three weeks.

The port of Tobruk is managed by the forces of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, who controls Eastern Libya and the country's oilfields, whilst the UN-recognized and Islamist-inclined government controls Western Libya and the capital of Tripoli. 

Haftar is supported by the UAE, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the rebel RSF faction in Sudan, not normally regarded as Iranian allies. But Haftar is also supported by Russia, which is a close Iranian ally. The main backers of the recognized government in Tripoli are Turkey and Qatar.  

The question of who is sponsoring the Elyana’s cargo, and who it is destined for, is thus a complete mystery. Likewise, who is turning a blind eye or conspiring to allow the delivery of the cargo is equally puzzling - which may be why the Elyana is marooned at anchor with its cargo still unladen. 

The only thing clear in the saga is that the consignor has been approved by or is sponsored by the IRGC. A degree of indecision on the part of the Tobruk port captain would therefore be understandable. In the past, cargos unloaded from suspicious IRGC-associated vessels, such as the IRISL ships Golbon and Jairan, have caught fire with dramatic results.