Myanmar hid Iranian jet fuel as diesel

Myanmar's foreign exchange regulator authorized the mislabeling of a fuel shipment in late November. The paperwork described the cargo as diesel instead of jet fuel. The delivery arrived in December 2025.

The vessel, named Reef, carried about 113,000 barrels of fuel. It arrived in Myanmar waters with documents that did not match the actual cargo. Shipping data and satellite images tracked the ship from Iran's Bandar Abbas port to Southeast Asia. The tankers were delivering jet fuel from Iran, not the South African diesel listed in the contract.

Dynamic Wave, a Myanmar-based energy broker, ordered the shipment. The company signed a $15.8 million deal with Thailand's Tawan-Oil Trading. The contract called for a similar quantity of diesel. United Nations and Vortexa data show no trade between South Africa and Myanmar in 2025.

A letter dated November 30 instructed the client to issue import papers for diesel. The regulator gave no reason for the change. The letter also allowed Dynamic Wave and its client, National Energy Prime Aviation Services Company, to pay Tawan. The client is part-owned by Myanmar's military-backed government. Justice for Myanmar, an activist group, obtained the documents from a junta-run server.

Washington imposed targeted sanctions on Myanmar's jet-fuel industry in 2023. The US cited the military's bombing of civilian targets. Buying Iranian fuel also triggers broad American sanctions. The disguise helped bypass these rules. The payment went to Tawan's account at Siam Commercial Bank. A 2024 UN report identified Tawan as a military jet-fuel supplier and the bank as a key facilitator.

The December delivery was not the first incident. In May 2025, Dynamic Wave agreed to buy 202,000 barrels of supposed South African diesel from Tawan for $26 million. Jet-fuel expert Joshua Heyne of Washington State University noted the fuel density in the invoice matched jet fuel. The price was over 50% above the global diesel benchmark. The tanker Noble delivered just under 200,000 barrels to Yangon on June 17. SynMax said it loaded at Bandar Abbas and broadcast signals suggesting it was bound for Bangladesh.

Myanmar's generals seized power in 2021 from the elected government. The move triggered a civil war. The United Nations said in August that the military has killed thousands in air attacks. Myanmar's foreign ministry responded that the military exercises maximum restraint to avoid civilian harm.

Reuters reported in January that Iran was the military's main jet-fuel supplier between October 2024 and December 2025. Shipments have continued through 2026. The fuel supports commercial flights and air raids. Tehran earns foreign currency from the trade. Dynamic Wave, its client, Tawan, the bank, and relevant authorities in Thailand, Myanmar, Iran, and the US did not respond to requests for comment.