On October 13, 2025, a village in western Myanmar, Vanha, experienced a devastating attack, with a bomb from a junta warplane hitting the local school, followed by a drone strike shortly after. This coincided with an Iranian tanker returning home after delivering over 16,000 tons of jet fuel to Myanmar, which supports the junta’s extensive bombing campaign against civilian targets. An investigation by Reuters revealed that Iran’s illicit fuel deliveries have been integral to the Myanmar junta, enabling attacks on more than 1,000 civilian sites within 15 months, as well as supplying urea, a key component in the junta’s munitions.
The ongoing civil war in Myanmar sees the junta at odds with various rebel groups, with the junta possessing a superior air and weaponry advantage due to the Iranian shipments. The relevance of these deliveries is significant for Iran, providing much-needed revenue and influence as it faces tightening sanctions and diminishing support from traditional allies. On the day of the attack in Vanha, two students lost their lives, and 22 others were injured. Many were outside cleaning at the time, which, according to eyewitness accounts, minimized casualties. Reports indicate at least 1,728 civilians have died in government airstrikes since the onset of Iranian support.
From October 2024 to December 2025, approximately 175,000 tons of jet fuel were delivered to the junta via nine shipments from two Iranian vessels, Reef and Noble. These vessels have become Myanmar’s primary sources of jet fuel, along with significant amounts of urea. Notably, while the escalated air campaign has been documented, Iran’s pivotal role in empowering this offensive had not been previously outlined. The deliveries are circumventing international sanctions, providing essential support for both repressive regimes.
Following these revelations, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Myanmar urged accountability for Iran, implicating the shipments in exacerbating civilian attacks. Despite these grave concerns, Iran and Myanmar’s governments have remained unresponsive to inquiries regarding these operations.
Crushing Rebellions
Iran’s theocratic regime, under pressure from U.S. and Israeli military actions and facing a currency crisis, has suppressed anti-government protests that threatened its stability for decades. The government is seeking to alleviate financial strain after facing years of international sanctions. Similarly, Myanmar’s military junta battles a rebellion sparked by its coup in 2021, intensified by an influx of fuel that has bolstered its airstrike capabilities, contributing to a surge in attacks against rebel territories. The junta employs 100 warplanes, including imports from China and Russia, to significantly increase its bombing raids, complicating the defense efforts of Myanmar’s rebel forces.
The companies Reef and Noble, sanctioned by the U.S. in 2024, began transporting jet fuel from Iran to Myanmar in October of that year, utilizing spoofing techniques to conceal their maritime journeys. As of the end of 2024, the Myanmar military conducted over 1,000 airstrikes on civilian targets, doubling the rate from the previous 15 months, as documented by Myanmar Peace Monitor, although specific casualty figures remain unverified by Reuters.
Residents of the village of Vanha faced devastation when an airstrike occurred, resulting in chaos and fear. Situated in Chin State, a region impoverished and bordering India, the village has seen repeated bombings from military jets targeting schools. The local populace now often sleeps in the jungle to escape potential strikes, leading to widespread terror and disbelief regarding attacks aimed at innocent civilians.
While it is not confirmed if the aircraft that bombed Vanha utilized Iranian jet fuel, shipping documents indicate that this fuel source has remained exclusively from Iran for over a year. Satellite imagery and shipping data analyses, conducted by entities such as SynMax, corroborate the movements of Iranian vessels and their cargo details. Companies tied to the terminal servicing Reef and Noble in Myanmar, sanctioned by multiple Western nations, are under scrutiny for delivering fuel to the military.
Iran’s increased exports to Myanmar occur amid extensive Western sanctions that target vital resources the junta uses to oppress civilians, creating a hesitancy among other commercial suppliers to sell fuel to Myanmar in light of economic sanctions. In responses regarding Iran’s actions, the U.S. Treasury noted that sanctions had effectively restricted Iran’s oil revenue. The European Union and Canada refrained from commenting, while the UK emphasized its condemnation of the Myanmar military’s human rights abuses, including airstrikes on civilian areas.
Iran’s history of military alliances extends to support for regimes and groups like Bashar al-Assad in Syria and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Its escalating fuel sales to Myanmar align with a strategic objective to foster relationships with isolated governments, particularly following the diminishing power of previous allies. Additionally, with jet fuel commanding higher market rates compared to crude oil, Iran stands to generate significant revenue from these transactions, potentially earning around $123 million from recent shipments, bolstering its struggling economy amid conflict and sanctions.
Iranian Spoofing
On September 15, 2025, Reef’s location transmitter indicated it was near the Basrah Oil Terminal in Iraq, yet satellite imagery revealed it was actually at Bandar Abbas port in Iran, loading fuel close to a refinery managed by NIORDC, a subsidiary of the National Iranian Oil Company. During loading, Reef’s transmitter occasionally revealed its true location before switching back to a false one, highlighting its operations in the shadows of the global oil trade.
The NIORDC, identified as an affiliate of the IRGC, plays a crucial role in managing Iran’s oil exports, financially benefitting the IRGC, which oversees Iran’s illicit economy and security. Reef is operatively part of Iran’s shadow fleet, a group of vessels transporting about $50 billion worth of oil annually, vital for Iran’s foreign currency and global economic ties.
The IRGC’s influence, while economically beneficial, has also incited public backlash due to its violent suppression of dissent and pervasive corruption. Reef and its associated entity, Sea Route Ship Management FZE, faced U.S. sanctions in 2024 for transporting Iranian petrochemical products and have frequently changed their name and registration flag—a common practice among shadow fleet operators. Reef later docked at the Myan Oil Terminal near Yangon, linked to Myanmar’s military junta, responsible for the jet fuel supply chain.
Companies associated with this terminal have been designated as significant partners in facilitating the junta’s fuel imports and distribution and have faced sanctions alongside specific individuals connected to these operations. Both the oil terminal and related entities did not respond to inquiries, with listed contact details often being invalid.
Pivot to the Tatmadaw
The shift in relations between Iran and Myanmar’s military, known as the Tatmadaw, marks a significant realignment in regional dynamics. Initially, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani condemned the Tatmadaw’s actions during the 2017 Rohingya crisis, labeling it genocide and urging Islamic nations to intervene. However, following the military coup in February 2021 that ousted civilian leadership, Iran has softened its stance and begun engaging with the junta. A clandestine visit by an Iranian delegation in January 2022 signaled a pivot, focusing on military cooperation and arms sales, including guided missiles and military equipment.
Danny Citrinowicz, a former Israeli intelligence official, highlighted Iran’s pragmatic approach, suggesting that the regime can adjust its ideological stance when strategic interests are at stake. Over the past three years, Iran has also emerged as a key supplier of urea, a critical component for explosives, which the Tatmadaw has used extensively for military operations. Analysts estimate that Iranian urea imports to Myanmar could range between 400,000 and 600,000 tons annually. Notably, two vessels, Golden ES and Rasha, have been identified as transporting bulk urea covertly, with alterations made to their location tracking.
Defectors from the Tatmadaw, including Major Naung Yoe, have confirmed that this urea is utilized in ordnance factories for manufacturing various explosive devices, further complicating the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar. As ties deepen, political engagements have intensified, illustrated by an exchange between Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Myanmar’s Prime Minister Nyo Saw in December 2025, where both leaders expressed a desire to enhance cooperation in energy sectors.
Amidst these developments, global observers and the United Nations have criticized Myanmar’s electoral process as illegitimate and undemocratic, even as the junta declared a successful vote. Reports from the ground show that the Tatmadaw continued its brutal aerial attacks on civilian areas. On December 10, 2025, an airstrike hit a hospital in Mrauk-U, Rakhine State, resulting in significant casualties. Eyewitness Wai Hun Aung described the horrifying aftermath, revealing a scene of devastation with at least 30 dead and over 70 injured. The attack exemplified the severe impact of the military’s ongoing campaign against both rebel groups and civilian populations.
Just days before the hospital bombing, Iranian shipments of nearly 15,000 metric tons of jet fuel were covertly delivered to Myanmar, further supporting the military’s offensive capabilities. The vessels engaged in these operations managed to mislead tracking systems into displaying false departure points, raising questions about the operations’ transparency. In the aftermath, despite widespread destruction and loss of life, shipping activities continued unabated, with reports of the same vessels reloading and preparing for more deliveries.
Humanitarian workers and local residents grappled with the destruction, highlighting the tragic consequences of the military’s actions and the broader geopolitical ramifications of Iran’s support for the Tatmadaw. Despite international condemnation, the relationship between Iran and Myanmar’s military continues to solidify, the flow of military supplies and munitions emboldening the junta in a brutal civil war against dissenters and civilians alike, leading to a dire humanitarian situation.
With information from Reuters
