The owner of the Russian shadow fleet tanker detained by France turned out to be the son of Iran's former defense minister
The Tagor, a tanker belonging to the Russian shadow fleet that was detained by French and British naval forces in the Atlantic Ocean, is owned by Zulu Ships Management, a company based in the UAE. U.S. authorities directly link this entity to the extensive shipping network of Iranian Mohammad Hossein Shahmani—the son of Admiral Ali Shahmani.
This is reported by “Vazhnye Istorii.”
Ali Shahmani served as Iran’s Minister of Defense and Secretary of the Iranian National Security Council; his last position was advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader. He was killed in February 2026 as a result of U.S. and Israeli airstrikes.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury notes that the shipping empire of the son of Iran’s former defense minister comprises more than 50 tankers and container ships. It includes front companies that directly launder billions of dollars in profits from the trade of Iranian and Russian crude oil. International journalists and law enforcement agencies are currently investigating the connections of the detained vessel.
The French Navy detained a tanker in the Atlantic Ocean that, according to Paris, belongs to the so-called “shadow fleet.” This was announced by French President Emmanuel Macron.
Details have emerged about the Russian tanker detained by France.
