ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Iraq’s Ministry of Oil has uncovered suspicious activity involving oil tankers operating near two key southern ports, accusing the vessels of using unauthorized and deceptive methods to load oil.

In a classified document dated July 27, later confirmed to be authentic by a senior official at the State Organization for Marketing of Oil (SOMO), the ministry reported that several tankers were spotted near Umm Qasr and Khor al-Zubair ports using advanced technologies to hide their true locations and routes.

“Tracking data shows these tankers are using advanced techniques to manipulate their Automatic Identification System (AIS), a method known as AIS spoofing,” SOMO said in the memo, which was obtained by The New Region. “This allows them to disappear from monitoring systems or appear elsewhere, and raises serious concerns about illegal activities like unauthorized ship-to-ship transfers.”

The document, signed by SOMO Director and Chairman Ali Nazar al-Shatari, also noted that these tankers were not part of Iraq’s official oil export schedules.

“None of these vessels are listed in our authorized loading plans for crude oil or oil products,” the memo stated. “This strengthens our suspicion that these are illegal operations.”

SOMO said it detected the ships through international vessel tracking services, including Kpler, Platts, Sea Web, and Vortexa.

The warning comes amid growing US allegations that Iraq is mixing Iranian oil with its own exports, claims Iraqi officials have denied.

SOMO’s letter was sent to several top Iraqi bodies, including the National Intelligence Service, the National Security Advisory, the Ministry of Defense, Naval Forces Command, the Higher Maritime Authority, and the General Company for Ports. The company urged all recipients to “review the information and take the necessary action.”

The prevalence of oil smuggling at Iraqi ports poses severe challenges to legal Iraqi oil exports and can result in geopolitical blowback for Baghdad.

Earlier in July, The New Region reported that US sanctions targeting Iran-backed oil smuggling networks led to the suspension of operations at Berth 41 of Khor al-Zubair Port in Basra province, with lawmakers and economists warning that such illicit activity can harm Iraq's international standing and damage investor trust.

Economist Nizar Mohi said what happened at Berth 41 is a serious problem in the country’s economic management system. He said Iraq may face more sanctions unless it changes how it manages sovereign ports and facilities.

Mohi told The New Region that shutting down such a large facility brings more than just daily financial losses; it damages investor trust and makes Iraq look like a risky place to do business, especially in the energy sector.