Netanyahu faces coalition showdown as rivals maneuver to form Israel's next government

TEL AVIV, Israel: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hold on power in Israel will be tested Wednesday as President Isaac Herzog begins consultations with leaders of all parties elected to the 26th Knesset before deciding which lawmaker to task with forming the next government.

The final vote count, published last Friday by Israel's Central Elections Committee, gave Netanyahu's bloc 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, compared with 48 for the opposition alliance led by Gadi Eisenkot — 61 seats are needed to form a government.

On Monday, Netanyahu posted to X that "the public in Israel does not want a government that depends on Ra'am and the Joint List—parties that support terrorism and reject the existence of the Jewish state."

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"A clear majority in the Jewish public chose the Likud as the largest party and me, as prime minister, to lead the next government. We aspire to form a broad government with our partners and with any party that wishes to do so and does not support terrorism. I am open to holding discussions on the matter," he added.

The two predominantly Arab parties he pointed his criticism at are the Joint List and Ra'am who secured a historic combined total of 19 seats, potentially positioning them as kingmakers in the government formation process.

A Joint List source told Fox News Digital that the alliance is likely to endorse Eisenkot to be the first lawmaker tasked with forming a government. If both predominantly Arab parties were to back him, he would receive recommendations from parties representing more than the 61 seats needed.

The lawmaker tasked with forming a government will have 28 days to do so, with the president authorized to grant an extension of up to 14 additional days.

Consultations will be held in ascending order of seat count, beginning with Religious Zionism-Zehut and Shas, which each won six seats, followed by Yisrael Beiteinu, which secured seven.

On Thursday, Herzog will meet with the leaders of United Torah Judaism and Otzma Yehudit, which each won seven seats, followed by The Democrats and Ra'am, which each won eight, the Joint List (11), BeYachad (12), Yashar (21) and Likud (27).

Defense and government affairs commentator Amir Oren told Fox News Digital that while Herzog is formally free to choose whom to task with forming a government, he would be inclined to select the candidate whose nomination is backed by parties representing a majority of Knesset seats.

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"He must then task Eisenkot with forming the next government. That does not mean Eisenkot will succeed. If he fails, he will have to return the mandate to the president," Oren said.

Eisenkot may, in fact, struggle to assemble a 61-seat governing coalition, given competing interests within the opposition bloc. BeYachad leader Naftali Bennett and Yisrael Beiteinu chief Avigdor Liberman are unlikely to agree to serve in a government reliant on the Joint List, given the latter’s pro-Palestinian positions and opposition to Zionism.

It is theoretically possible, however, that the opposition bloc could agree to form a minority government with the Arab parties providing support from outside the coalition.

While Israel has no precedent for forming a minority government immediately following an election, such arrangements have occurred during a Knesset term. Most recently, during Netanyahu’s current term, one of the ultra-Orthodox parties withdrew from the coalition over a dispute related to military conscription but continued to support the government from outside.

Religious Zionism-Zehut, Otzma Yehudit and Shas each confirmed to Fox News Digital on Tuesday night that they would recommend Netanyahu to Herzog during consultations on forming a government.

Dan Diker, president of the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, told Fox News Digital that Bennett and Liberman’s recent endorsement of Eisenkot suggests they are moving away from the prospect of a national unity government.

"I think it would behoove Netanyahu, Eisenkot, former Prime Minister Bennett and former Defense Minister Liberman to find a way to work together now, given the imminent clash between the apocalyptic death cult known as the Iranian regime, Israel and, by extension, the rest of the Western world," he said.

Complicating matters for Netanyahu, the 26th Knesset is scheduled to be sworn in on Nov. 10. Its newly elected members are expected to begin forming committees and advancing legislation, while the current prime minister and ministers remain in office and continue carrying out their duties under the oversight of the new parliament, ensuring continuity of government.

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"They are doing everything they can to push Netanyahu out of office, and we are seeing that now with discussions about replacing the Knesset speaker. They can then begin trying to advance legislation in a Knesset with 19 seats held by Arab parties that would be very uncomfortable for Netanyahu," Diker said.

Oren highlighted another potential challenge, suggesting that the caretaker government's ability to launch military operations could face political constraints, potentially complicating any resumption of hostilities with Iran, even if U.S. President Donald Trump were to initiate such action.

Former Knesset member Dov Lipman told Fox News Digital that Eisenkot appears likely to be the first lawmaker tasked with forming a government, but suggested that most Israelis favor a national unity government built around Likud, Yashar and BeYachad, with one or more smaller parties also joining.

"As a first step, Eisenkot may approach Likud and ask it to join a government under his leadership, which Likud will reject. Eisenkot will then have to make a decision, as Liberman is unlikely to agree to serve in a government alongside Arab parties," Lipman said.

"Eisenkot will likely fail to form a government, after which the mandate will pass to Netanyahu, who will also likely fail."

That would trigger a 21-day period during which any Knesset member could attempt to form a government with the backing of at least 61 lawmakers. If the process reaches that stage, Eisenkot might agree to serve under Netanyahu for two years to avoid sending the country to another election, Lipman said.

Prof. Gideon Rahat, a senior fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute, told Fox News Digital that Netanyahu would need to make concessions to persuade opposition leaders that he would honor his commitments, given their experience with the 2020 power-sharing agreement with then-Blue and White party leader Benny Gantz.

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Under the agreement, Netanyahu was to serve as prime minister for the first 18 months, with Gantz serving as alternate prime minister and defense minister before taking over as premier on Nov. 17, 2021. However, the arrangement unraveled after the government failed to pass a state budget by the December 2020 deadline, triggering the Knesset's automatic dissolution and new elections. Gantz never assumed the premiership.

Rahat pointed to Israel’s 1984-1988 national unity government as a precedent, saying a similar arrangement could work.

"At the time, Israel was still embroiled in the Lebanon War, with IDF forces deployed in the country, while the economy was facing a severe crisis, with annual inflation exceeding 400%. Against that backdrop, Likud and Labor formed a national unity government under a rotation agreement, with Shimon Peres serving as prime minister for the first two years, followed by Yitzhak Shamir for the next two," he said.

While large parts of the public would likely support it, Rahat said, there are still issues that may create tension.

"They will have to freeze the judicial overhaul launched by Netanyahu’s government, find a way to investigate Oct. 7, as demanded by opposition parties and agree on a mechanism for Netanyahu to leave office when the time comes. But when it comes to major issues of security and the economy, unity governments can be quite effective," Rahat said.

"Once they resolve the major challenges, however, they start fighting among themselves and the magic is over."

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Ukraine's Zelenskyy on defying US in attacking Russian oil: 'Our response must be painful'

KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is defying calls from the Trump administration for his armed forces to stop attacking Russian oil refineries, telling Fox News: "Our response must be painful."

In an interview in Kyiv, Zelenskyy acknowledged holding discussions with the Trump administration about targeting oil facilities, attacks President Donald Trump has pinned as being partly to blame for high gas prices in the U.S.

"We had different conversations — different, and several — with President Trump and with his team about attacks on refineries," Zelenskyy said.

"We said that if you want us not to attack Russia's refineries, they have not to attack our energy system."

TRUMP TELLS ZELENSKYY TO STOP DOING 'ONE THING' DURING ATTACKS ON RUSSIA

Ukraine has reported near-daily Russian strikes on energy infrastructure, triggering power outages just as temperatures dip ahead of winter.

"That's why we have to respond. But our response has to be painful for Russian military people," Zelenskyy said. "If we will not respond on energy, they will continue."

U.S.-Ukraine relations took a further hit in October when Trump struck a deal to import millions of tons of Russian diesel to the United States.

ZELENSKYY ACCUSES PUTIN OF DEFYING TRUMP'S CEASEFIRE PUSH, SENDS POINTED MESSAGE TO WHITE HOUSE

Zelenskyy suggested Ukraine might be encouraged to hold off on further attacks on Russian oil facilities if the United States were to deliver more U.S.-made Patriot missile interceptors to protect Ukrainian skies. Pressed by Fox News on whether that might be seen as an attempt to leverage Trump, Zelenskyy said: "I don't have any concerns when I share the truth between partners."

"Our countries are huge partners. American society (is a) huge supporter."

"And that's why I have to share with (the) president the truth, the real situation: that America can't help Russia. (The) president can't help Putin."

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Ahead of planned peace talks in the United Arab Emirates, Zelenskyy urged Trump to launch another push for a targeted ceasefire where both Russia and Ukraine refrain from attacks on energy facilities.

"If the American president thinks that this war has influence on the prices," Zelenskyy said, "he can ask, energy ceasefire, during (the) Abu Dhabi trilateral meeting: energy ceasefire."

Zelenskyy spoke with Fox News hours before starved and exhausted residents left the Russian-controlled town of Oleshky and crossed into Ukraine under a humanitarian truce brokered by first lady Melania Trump, the first of its kind in more than four years of war.

Zelenskyy welcomed the first lady's initiative, calling the evacuations "a huge result," and adding: "I don't know how many such steps will be available for us, but if the First Lady can do it ... it's very helpful. I'm very thankful to her."

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US will mediate upcoming Ukraine-Russia talks in Abu Dhabi, Witkoff says

U.S. officials will mediate a new round of talks between Ukraine and Russia next week with the goal of delivering "lasting security for generations to come," U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said on Monday.

Witkoff said the U.S.-mediated negotiations will be held on Nov. 10 and 11 in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.

"The United States will mediate working-level negotiations between Ukraine and Russia on November 10–11 in Abu Dhabi, advancing President Trump’s mission to end the war. Discussions will focus on post-war security arrangements, de-escalation, humanitarian efforts, and next steps toward peace," Witkoff wrote on X.

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Ahead of next week's peace talks, U.S. negotiators will meet this week in Brussels with representatives from France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the EU and NATO.

"Additionally, American negotiators will meet this week in Brussels with representatives from France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the EU, and NATO to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine, Europe’s post-war security architecture, and economic opportunities to support Ukraine’s reconstruction," Witkoff said.

The push by the U.S. government builds upon earlier diplomatic discussions held in Kyiv, Oslo and St. Petersburg, as the Trump administration continues efforts to broker an end to the war following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

"We look forward to building on the progress made in Kyiv, Oslo, and St. Petersburg toward a comprehensive, durable peace agreement that delivers lasting security for generations to come," Witkoff said.

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This comes after President Donald Trump said last month that efforts to resolve the war were "maybe now the closest we’ve been," adding that he believed both sides wanted an end to the conflict after years of fighting and heavy casualties.

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Russia plotting 'massive strike' during midterms, Zelenskyy warns, urges US to stop Putin

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned Monday that Russia is preparing a "massive attack" on Ukraine centered on Tuesday's midterm elections in the United States, accusing Moscow of seeking to exploit the historical vote to unleash strikes while the world's attention is elsewhere.

The Ukrainian leader's warning came as voters prepared to decide which party controls Congress, a result that could also influence Washington's future response to Russian President Vladimir Putin's almost five-year war in Ukraine.

In a post on X, Zelenskyy went on to urge the Trump administration to increase pressure on Moscow, warning that Russia could exploit the elections to target Ukraine's battered energy infrastructure and supply routes.

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"We have intel that Russia is preparing a new massive attack on our country – primarily targeting energy and logistics," Zelenskyy said in his nightly address.

"The assumption is basically that tomorrow the world will be watching the American midterms, and what is happening here in Ukraine, along with our difficulties with air defense and Patriot missiles, will be overlooked."

Zelenskyy's warning came hours after Russian forces struck a school being used to distribute humanitarian aid in Komyshuvakha, a settlement in southeastern Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region.

At least 26 people, including police officers and first responders, were killed, five others were injured and others remained missing, according to the Ukrainian news outlet Ukrainska Pravda.

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In his X post, Zelenskyy urged the U.S. and its allies to warn Putin that continued attacks on Ukraine would bring serious economic consequences.

"We need signals from the world to Russia that will make them feel that terror is no good, that it will bring no gains, and that as long as this war continues, their oil will burn, and they will not be able to make money doing business with the world," Zelenskyy warned.

"We must not play games with Russia's oil or gas revenues," he added.

"We must put pressure on Russia in such a way that it has no alternative but to end this war. America can do this."

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President Donald Trump, meanwhile, has sought to negotiate an end to the war with the help of special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, both of whom have been involved in diplomatic efforts with Moscow.

Zelenskyy told Fox News in a Sunday interview that Ukraine would suspend strikes on Russian oil refineries for a month if Washington provided Patriot missile interceptors during the same period, potentially opening the door to diplomacy.

The State Department approved the potential sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 interceptor missiles to Ukraine for an estimated $2.1 billion, according to Reuters.

The proposed sale could provide a significant boost to Ukraine's air defenses if finalized, although the delivery timeline is uncertain.

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On Monday, Ukraine also accused Moscow of exploiting a U.S.-backed humanitarian ceasefire in Oleshky, in Ukraine's southern Kherson region, to strengthen Russian military positions.

Nearly 800 people were evacuated during the six-day humanitarian pause, according to first lady Melania Trump, with the White House clarifying that she helped broker the arrangement.

Ukraine's General Staff accused Russian forces of using the humanitarian pause to rotate troops, reinforce their defenses and improve battlefield logistics.

"Under the ceasefire introduced for the humanitarian operation in Oleshky, units of the Defence Forces of Ukraine ensured that the ceasefire was observed and acted exclusively within the framework of the agreements reached," the General Staff said in a statement on X.

"The enemy, by contrast, used the humanitarian pause to improve its positions."

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Poland's constitutional crisis deepens as Prime Minister Tusk faces accusations of power grab

Friday’s late-night confrontation at Poland's Constitutional Tribunal, which drew riot police and protesters and prompted President Karol Nawrocki to turn his plane around and return to Warsaw, has reignited a bitter debate over whether Prime Minister Donald Tusk is restoring the rule of law or overstepping constitutional limits.

The dispute erupted after the tribunal announced the suspension of its president, Bogdan Święczkowski, a move that supporters of Tusk’s government described as necessary to restore judicial independence, while critics denounced it as an unconstitutional power grab.

Marcin Przydacz, the head of the International Policy Bureau in Nawrocki’s office, took to European TV Monday morning denouncing Tusk’s actions, saying, "Even lawyers who are close to the Tusk government say that there's absolutely no legal basis for such behavior."

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The dispute is also triggering diplomatic fallout, with at least three Polish ambassadors resigning in protest. Przydacz, a former parliament member of the now-opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party, says Poland’s permanent representative to the U.N. since 2021, Krzysztof Szczerski, resigned Monday, which followed the resignations over the weekend of the ambassadors to China and Romania.

"This crisis didn’t begin on Friday," said Simone Rodan‑Benzaquen, senior envoy to Europe at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. "Poland has been living with a deeply compromised Constitutional Tribunal for more than a decade."

Rodan-Benzaquen said the confrontation cannot be understood in isolation. Parliament has continued appointing judges under Poland's constitution, but several of those appointments have been blocked from taking office amid a years-long standoff between the government, the presidency and the tribunal itself.

"This isn't simply a case of Tusk deciding to pack a functioning, independent court ahead of an election," Rodan-Benzaquen tells Fox News Digital. "There is a genuine institutional crisis that predates his government, and a legitimate question of how to resolve it."

That underlying conflict exploded into public view Friday after Judge Anna Korwin-Piotrowska suspended Święczkowski and his deputy, triggering protests outside the tribunal and prompting Nawrocki to abandon a trip to Senegal. Police detained three people after some demonstrators clashed with officers outside the court complex.

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Rodan-Benzaquen cautioned that concerns about Friday's actions are not limited to supporters of the opposition, saying they "raise serious questions about the legality and proportionality of the methods being used."

Critics of the government have described Friday's events as an unprecedented assault on Poland's constitutional order. "My former boss, Margaret Thatcher, would have been absolutely appalled by what we're witnessing in Poland," Nile Gardner, director of the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom at the Heritage Foundation told Fox News Digital. "This is clearly a crisis for Poland and an attempted coup by Donald Tusk."

"This has all the hallmarks of a Soviet-style coup operation," added Gardner, who said Tusk waited until Nawrocki was traveling out of the country, accusing the prime minister of undermining the tribunal and further destabilizing Poland ahead of next year's election. "It's the sort of thing you'd expect actually from a third world dictator."

Others reject the coup characterization. Boštjan Udovič, chair of international relations at the University of Ljubljana, says the dispute centers on the government's attempt to restore judicial arrangements that critics of the previous PiS government say were inconsistent with both Poland's constitution and European legal standards.

"Tusk wants to restore the situation as required by the constitution and the international institutions," Udovič said. "I think that he hoped the transition would be easier."

Tusk defended his government's actions as part of an effort to restore the rule of law, accusing both the president and the tribunal of improperly blocking judges elected by parliament from taking office. "The solution to the conflict is simple," he said on Monday. "The president recognizes the judges legally elected by [parliament], because that is what the Constitution stipulates." He accused Nawrocki of "choosing forceful confrontation, which could cost Poland very dearly. A democratic state under the rule of law cannot yield to violence."

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"Restoring the rule of law is essential," Rodan-Benzaquen says, warning against viewing the dispute purely through a partisan lens. "But the legitimacy of that restoration depends not only on its objectives, but also on the legality of the means used to achieve it."

The divide in Poland has increasingly been reflected abroad, with European institutions and political leaders offering sharply different interpretations of the crisis.

The European Commission has largely backed the Polish parliament's authority to appoint judges. European Commissioner Michael McGrath said selecting new judges lies within the powers of Poland's parliament.

French opposition leader Marine Le Pen, meanwhile, accused Brussels of applying a double standard. "One cannot claim to defend democracy and the rule of law while remaining silent when the constitutional balance of a member state is gravely threatened," she posted on X. "The proliferation of such strong-arm tactics within the European Union itself is beginning to raise serious questions." 

"America is on Poland’s side," U.S. Ambassador to Poland Tom Rose posted to X, urging restraint. "Our concern is for the stability, security, and democratic future of a country we are proud to call our friend and ally… Poland has come too far and accomplished too much to let political differences, no matter how strongly felt, put any of that at risk."

For Rodan-Benzaquen, the larger issue extends far beyond the events of Friday night. "One side claims to be defending constitutional order against the abuses of the other, while the institutions that should arbitrate the dispute have themselves become the object of the dispute," she said.

With parliamentary elections in Poland only a year away, the battle over who gets to define the rule of law may prove more consequential than the confrontation that unfolded this weekend.

Calling Tusk’s tactics "straight out of the Putin playbook," Gardner warns Poland is in "an incredibly dangerous situation right now, and the blame is squarely at the door of Donald Tusk and his government."

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

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Ukraine says air alert system hacked after false radiation warning in Kyiv

Ukraine officials said the country’s official air-raid alert app was likely hacked after emergency alerts warned on Sunday that there was a "radiation hazard" and a "chemical attack alert" in Kyiv.

The false warnings urged residents not to go outside.

"There is a radiation hazard alert in Kyiv. Do not go outside!" read one alert.

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"There is a chemical attack alert in Kyiv. Do not go outside!" another one read.

The public air alert online map also displayed Kyiv and other areas as under a nuclear alert. The app also issued false warnings about Russia’s hypersonic Oreshnik missile and alleged street fighting in Kyiv.

Additionally, loudspeakers in the streets blasted a recorded message instructing people to take precautions.

But Ukraine’s Air Force said its air alert app was hacked and that there was no radiation hazard to be concerned about.

"The air alert app appears to have been subjected to enemy influence. There is no radiation threat! Stay calm and follow our updates on our channel!" the Ukrainian Air Force said in a statement posted to Telegram.

Ukraine’s Center for Strategic Communications blamed Russia for the incident, although no group had publicly claimed responsibility.

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Separately, Russia’s Emergencies Ministry said early Monday that its mobile application had been hit by a "massive cyberattack" that allowed attackers to send false information to the public.

"Attention! The mobile application of the Ministry of Emergencies of Russia has been subjected to a massive cyberattack, enabling attackers to send false information to the public," the ministry said on Telegram.

Fox News' Simon Owen contributed to this report.

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Iranian ‘ghost fleet’ filmed evading US blockade en route to China, UANI says

Small Iranian "ghost fleet" tankers are slipping past the U.S. naval blockade and smuggling sanctioned liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to China through a shadowy maritime hub off Malaysia, according to U.S. investigators who covertly filmed one of the vessels en route in September.

United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), which conducted the months-long probe, said at least nine similar tankers carrying Iranian oil or LPG have also evaded U.S. restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz since Washington reinstated the Iranian port blockade in July.

UANI identified one of the sanctioned tankers as the SOGL. It allegedly escaped the blockade on Sept. 1 carrying approximately 500,000 barrels of Iranian LPG after collecting it at an Iranian port in August.

The vessel then traveled thousands of miles to a Malaysian offshore anchorage, where UANI filmed the vessel receiving fuel and other services offshore. The ship then traveled on to China, where the organization said it discharged its Iranian cargo.

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"This tanker had loaded its Iranian LPG from Assaluyeh Port, Iran, in late August. It then breached the U.S. blockade and made its way to a Malaysian anchorage," Jemima Shelley, a senior analyst at UANI, explained.

"What this shows us is that some vessels are managing to breach the U.S. maritime blockade," Shelley said of the footage shared exclusively with Fox News Digital.

"Most vessels aren't, but since the reinstatement in mid-July, we have seen only nine small tankers being successful in their breach of the U.S. blockade and departing the Gulf of Oman laden with oil or LPG."

At the center of the operation is the Malaysian Eastern Outer Port Limits Anchorage, known as the EOPL, an offshore shipping area approximately 70 kilometers from Malaysia’s coastline.

The anchorage has become a critical staging ground for Iran’s sanctioned energy trade with China, Shelley said.

The area allows vessels to wait offshore, receive supplies and transfer cargo between tankers, providing a logistical lifeline for Iranian energy exports as American naval forces patrol waters closer to Iran.

UANI had been monitoring the SOGL before its arrival in Malaysian waters, Shelley explained.

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"On September 16th, United Against Nuclear Iran chartered a supply vessel and transited 100 nautical miles into the Malaysian Eastern Outer Port Limits Anchorage," Shelley said.

"Here we witnessed firsthand the illicit activities of ghost fleet tankers, as well as some Iran-flagged cargo ships that were located in this anchorage, one of them being the SOGL."

She described the SOGL as "a Handymax small tanker that was laden with 500,000 barrels of Iranian LPG."

The U.S. maritime blockade was first imposed April 13, temporarily lifted in mid-June and reinstated July 14 after diplomatic negotiations collapsed. The operation has largely stopped Iran from exporting crude oil, depriving Tehran of a major source of revenue as the country faces intense economic pressure.

"The U.S. blockade is an overwhelming success at preventing vessels laden with Iranian oil and petrochemicals from leaving the Gulf of Oman," Shelley said.

She added that since the blockade was reinstated, "no Iranian crude oil has managed to depart and be a successful export for Iran, which is a huge economic pressure for the Iranian regime."

"It's just that there are some opportunistic small tankers that are just managing to breach the blockade."

The United States, she said, is primarily prioritizing Iranian crude and very large tankers, which often carry "two million barrels of Iranian crude."

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LPG is a flammable mixture of hydrocarbons, primarily propane and butane, used for heating, cooking, transportation and industrial production.

"LPG carries a lot of risks," Shelley said. "The U.S. blockade's first course of action is to try to attempt to turn around these vessels, which is their main technique for enforcing the U.S. blockade."

"However, sometimes they do have to use military force and this would be incredibly high risk on far more volatile cargo such as LPG."

According to Shelley, the smaller vessels exploit those challenges while using tactics commonly associated with Iran’s ghost fleet.

"So what they'll do is they will turn off their AIS. They will often fly a false flag so they're completely stateless vessels," she added.

Automatic Identification System, or AIS, transponders broadcast a vessel’s identity, position and movements to other ships and maritime authorities. Switching them off can make a vessel more difficult to track.

"Often they will load, and then they will transit the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, and then in the Gulf of Oman, they will conduct a ship-to-ship transfer there," Shelley said, describing it as a "very high-risk ship-to-ship transfer because it's LPG, not crude oil."

"And then the other tanker that's receiving the LPG will then transit and attempt to breach the blockade."

The overall scale remains relatively small compared with Iran’s historical energy exports.

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The SOGL, identified by IMO number 9208227, was added to the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctions list Oct. 8 over its alleged involvement in transporting Iranian petroleum products since 2025.

The vessel has operated under multiple flags, including the Comoros and Zimbabwe, and has been linked in sanctions records to Gravion Maritime Co.

"Most of these tankers are very emblematic of what ghost fleet tankers do and so are flying false flags, which means they're completely stateless and will have very complicated front companies running them," Shelley said.

Meanwhile, the EOPL anchorage in Malaysia — roughly a 10-day-to-two-week journey from Iran — has become an important logistical center for Iranian vessels traveling toward Chinese buyers and a "key node in Iran's oil trade to China," Shelley said.

"It is used by ghost fleet tankers, Iran-flagged tankers that will load Iranian crude and then transit eastwards from Iran all the way to this anchorage where they will often conduct ship-to-ship transfers with the final tanker bound for China."

"Often this anchorage is also used for floating storage, which is how Iran managed to survive for so long with the U.S. blockade being reinstated in July," Shelley said.

She also clarified that since the blockade has been enforced, Iranian floating storage has fallen to "zero to seven million barrels."

"So you can see how they have survived from having this offshore anchorage where illicit ghost fleet tankers have been able to wait laden with Iranian products."

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UANI’s video also shows the SOGL sitting low in the water and receiving bunkering services from a smaller tanker off Malaysia, where Shelley said authorities appear to be "looking the other way."

"This is a common thing that you will see in this anchorage, because not only is this anchorage used for ship-to-ship transfers, but also these ghost fleet tankers, as well as some cargo ships in this anchorage, require various services, whether that is food, logistics or bunker fuel."

China is the dominant destination for Iranian oil and LPG, providing Tehran with a critical economic outlet despite U.S. sanctions and the naval blockade.

"For years, China has made up 80% of Iran's liquid cargo exports, and we have seen that only grow since the beginning of the Iran War. Now China is importing almost 100% of Iran's oil and LPG exports."

"It has created a system and trade that has allowed Iran to avoid sanctions, U.S. and OPEC sanctions, whilst China is able to buy highly discounted Iranian oil and LPG."

IRAN SEIZES SHIPS IN HORMUZ AS US TALKS FALTER AFTER CEASEFIRE EXTENSION

"After United Against Nuclear Iran's trip to the EOPL, interestingly, this small LPG tanker SOGL did not conduct a ship-to-ship transfer," Shelley said.

"Instead, it transited northbound into the South China Sea, where it finally discharged its Iranian LPG at Xinzhou Port in China."

The G Summer, a U.S.-sanctioned LPG carrier with a capacity of approximately 7,000 cubic meters, was also separately tracked transmitting signals from the Arabian Sea beyond the American blockade line in April, according to Bloomberg.

The vessel broadcast a message indicating it had an "all Chinese crew" aboard, while shipping analytics identified Iran as its last cargo country and Galle, Sri Lanka, as its reported destination.

Fox News Digital has reached out to CENTCOM for comment.

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