Sammy Ofer. Denies reports
Iran: Zionist ships haven't docked here
But director of Port Affairs concedes Israeli vessels may have sailed into ports hoisting other flags
The director of Port Affairs and Special Zones at the Ports and Maritime Organization of Iran denied Sunday that Israeli ships have docked in the Islamic Republic.
However, Mohsen Sadeghifar did not rule out the possibility that Israeli vessels may have sailed into Iranian ports falsely hoisting "flags that are not Israeli".
Exposed
Naama Sikuler, Calcalist
Calcalist reveals additional trade with Iran by Sammy Ofer, already object of US sanctions
A Calcalist report revealed Sunday that at least seven tankers belonging to Sammy Ofer's Tanker Pacific shipping company had docked in Iran between the years 2004-2010. One of the ships had been flying the Liberian flag, the report said.
Sadeghifar told the official state-owned IRNA Sunday that "ships belonging to American shipping lines, and especially those of the Zionist regime, have not docked at Iran's ports in recent years".
He added that such an occurrence was implausible and "unrealistic", as "ships arriving from those locations must receive a permit from the Iranian Ministry of Commerce or Customs, which of course they would not have received".
The official added that "the Zionist regime's shipping line is called Zim, and this company's vessels do not dare dock at Iran's ports".
Though Sadeghifar did not remark specifically on Sammy Ofer, he said numerous ships belonging to various countries dock in his country's ports, "and we don't check who owns stock in every company", a comment which was neither a refute nor a confirmation of the report.
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