Zanzibar — IN response to recent fresh allegations that some Iranian tankers have been detected using Tanzanian identification codes, Zanzibar has asked all port authorities around the world to take stern measures against them.

The Zanzibar Maritime Authority (ZMA) Director, Mr Abdi Maalim, said that what the Iranian tankers are doing is unacceptable. "We (Zanzibar) nullified our contract with the 36 Iranian tankers to avoid falling victim with the international community. We do not want any conflict," he said.

It has been reported that despite Zanzibar deregistering the tankers, at least three ships owned by the NITC have started emitting a wireless number starting with '677?' the country code signalling a Tanzanian flag, according to shipping databases Marine Traffic and Fleetmon.

The code can be used, for example, to give a distress signal. The vessels are also using a call sign - a unique identifier given by flag registration authorities -with a prefix that corresponds to the African country. "I have written to our main urgent in Dubai 'Philtex' asking to be watchful.

We have also sent letters containing the identification of all Iranian tankers of which we broke the contract with to some international ports so that they help us control misuse of our identity," said Maalim.

He said that his office has also written a letter of complaint to the Iran authorities in a bid to make sure that their ships do not use Tanzania flags or signal code.

"We are very concerned because it was Zanzibar which registered the ships," he added. Iran is being isolated in business as part of sanctions imposed by the EU/US in response to the Islamic Republic's contested nuclear programme.