'Bloomberg: UAE Offers to Deploy Dark-Transit Tactics to Shuttle Iraqi Crude Through Hormuz'

 Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. has initiated a rare strategy to shuttle Iraqi crude exports through the contested Strait of Hormuz.

The UAE enterprise is deploying dark-transit operations to supply Asian refiners, marking a highly unusual shift in regional energy logistics.

The state-owned oil company is utilizing methods typically designed to obscure vessel tracking.

Tankers are conducting brief voyages with disabled transponders to evade detection in the Persian Gulf, according to Bloomberg.

Once these ships navigate past the immediate threat zones, they transfer their Iraqi crude shipments to other vessels waiting offshore.

Adnoc has recently extended spot cargo offers to Asian buyers utilizing this precise methodology for Basrah crude and other regional grades.

Navigating Gulf Tensions

This shuttling framework has emerged as a critical mechanism for sustaining global oil flows amid the ongoing Iran war.

By securing export routes out of the Persian Gulf, the operations are actively mitigating severe spikes in international crude prices.

Adnoc has established itself as the most effective operator in moving oil through the congested waterway.

However, the operational risks remain severe, as several of the company's tankers were targeted and attacked while transiting Hormuz last week.

The security environment remains volatile due to stalled diplomacy. The U.S. and Iran have hardened their respective negotiating positions regarding the reopening of the strait.

Despite this diplomatic friction, Pakistan’s defense minister noted Tuesday that Washington and Tehran were close to a preliminary arrangement.

The erratic pace of these negotiations and persistent maritime strikes have severely restricted standard export activities.

Shifting Market Dynamics

Historically, the trading house Vitol Group and France's TotalEnergies SE managed the bulk of Iraqi crude transportation.

Adnoc’s entry into this specific transit sector appears to be shifting these established logistics networks.

Other global traders have reduced their Hormuz operations this month as regional hostilities escalated.

In response, Iraq’s state oil marketing company, SOMO, implemented aggressive financial incentives for operators willing to brave the strait.

SOMO is offering unprecedented discounts reaching up to $30 a barrel below benchmark prices for shipments loading this month.

These deep price cuts aim to offset the extreme risks associated with navigating the contested corridor.

The UAE’s intervention may already be yielding volume increases for Baghdad. Ali Nizar, the chief of SOMO, confirmed Tuesday that Iraqi crude exports have surged to "around 2 million barrels a day this month."

This figure marks a significant increase from the 1.5 million to 1.7 million barrels a day estimated by the Iraqi oil minister last week.

https://clashreport.com/world/articles/uae-offers-to-deploy-dark-transit-tactics-to-shuttle-iraqi-crude-through-hormuz-du8ln58zzmd

Sources:

Bloomberg

'AP: ICE to Equip Officers With Pain-Inducing Electric Shock Gloves'

 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is preparing to equip its personnel with wearable electric shock devices under a planned $20 million procurement initiative.

The federal agency expects to distribute thousands of the pain-inducing items by March, acting on a recent Department of Homeland Security notice outlining the sole-source acquisition, according to AP.

Manufactured by Kentucky-based Compliant Technologies LLC, the Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter (G.L.O.V.E.) functions as standard patrol gear until an operator engages an electrical mode to force suspect compliance through direct skin contact.

Procurement and Specifications

Homeland Security documentation indicates a no-bid contract solicitation could emerge as early as Friday.

Company materials state the technology delivers a sharp pain stimulus to swiftly subdue uncooperative targets.

The manufacturer mandates biennial operator certification and explicitly prohibits deployment on vulnerable demographics, including the elderly, pregnant individuals, and children.

Compliant Technologies Chief Executive Jeff Niklaus declined to elaborate on the pending government contract, stating: "Unfortunately, we are unable to speak on this subject."

The Department of Homeland Security also withheld immediate comment as it prepared an official response to media inquiries.

Operational Impact and Backlash

Researchers studying the hardware argue it provides distinct tactical advantages during physical confrontations, particularly when extracting defiant individuals from vehicles or detention enclosures.

John Peters, president of the Institute for the Prevention of In-Custody Deaths, noted the hardware's utility for personnel requiring physical leverage.

"If the officer is getting any type of resistance from the person, this is certainly an effective tool," he said.

The intended federal rollout has simultaneously triggered severe condemnation from civil rights monitors.

Opponents point to existing accountability issues within ICE operations under the Trump administration's broader immigration directives.

Critics emphasize the concealable nature of the activation switch, which allows federal agents to deploy painful force with minimal visible warning.

Jenn Rolnick Borchetta, an American Civil Liberties Union deputy project director, challenged the necessity of such hardware in civil immigration proceedings.

"Introducing gloves that can so easily be used to deliver terrible pain in encounters is a recipe for harm to the public," she stated.

https://clashreport.com/world/articles/ice-to-equip-officers-with-pain-inducing-electric-shock-gloves-efcz78t47k

Sources:

Associated Press

'Iran to Join New BRICS New Development Bank'

 Iran is set to gain entry into the New Development Bank, the multilateral lending institution founded by the BRICS bloc, as Tehran seeks to establish alternative financial channels outside the dominance of the U.S. dollar.

Central Bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati announced the upcoming accession ahead of a BRICS financial summit hosted by India.

The move marks a key step in Iran's efforts to deepen its integration within the economic alliance following its full admission to the group in 2024.

"The most important result of cooperation among BRICS member countries is the establishment of the New Development Bank, and our country will soon become a member of this bank," Hemmati said, according to state media.

Tehran remains under comprehensive U.S. and international sanctions while engaged in active conflict involving Washington and Israel.

These pressures have heightened Iran's push to secure shareholding status in the multilateral lender and expand non-dollar trade frameworks.

Established in 2015 by Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, the New Development Bank funds infrastructure and sustainable growth initiatives across emerging markets.

The institution has previously broadened its roster beyond its founding members to include nations such as Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.

Attendance at the India-hosted gathering of BRICS finance ministers and central bank governors highlights Tehran's focus on local-currency trade.

Member states have increasingly prioritized bilateral and multilateral monetary arrangements to minimize exposure to the greenback.

Hemmati emphasized that Iran favors conducting commercial transactions using domestic currencies among BRICS partners, confirming that Tehran is actively pursuing bilateral and trilateral monetary agreements across the bloc.

https://clashreport.com/world/articles/iran-to-join-new-brics-new-development-bank-do9y5iqmcje