The Korean Register of Shipping has become the latest and last remaining major classification society that has promised to stop certifying Iranian ships, specifically those of the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) and National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC), in response to Western sanctions and pressure from groups like the U.S.-based United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI).
“In early August, the Korean Register of Shipping took the decision to stop providing classification services to Iranian ships. All relevant authorities and parties concerned were informed at that time,” KR said in a statement obtained by Reuters on Friday.
The Korean Register of Shipping is the last of the 13 members of the International Association of Classification Societies that has vowed to halt work in Iran, joining the likes of Bureau Veritas, Germanischer Lloyd, Lloyd’s Register, ClassNK, and even the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping, among others.
“We applaud KR for this responsible and significant decision,” said UANI CEO and U.S. Ambassador, Mark D. Wallace. “KR has now joined other classification societies and countries in forcing Iran’s business partners to assume the risks for their work with the regime. Without certification coverage, which is needed to acquire shipping insurance or to enter major international ports, the Iranian regime’s shipping activities will be drastically restricted.”
The International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) classes more than 90 percent of the world’s merchant fleet and is made up of the top 13 of the more than 50 agencies that classify vessels.
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