Unraveling the Enigma of an Iranian Arms Vessel Docked in Libya

A small Iranian cargo ship, the Elyana, has been hanging out in Tobruk, Libya for three weeks now, adn it’s raising eyebrows.

This 23,000 dwt vessel is tied to the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Line (IRISL), which faces secondary sanctions from the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). To add to its troubles, the Elyana is specifically named in these sanctions.

The ship has a notorious reputation for transporting arms linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).Back in June 2024, it delivered a shipment from Iran to Latakia, Syria—a key hub for IRGC operations before political shifts changed everything. Latakia was previously used as a gateway for arms meant for Hezbollah and Syrian forces; they frequently enough arrived by sea or through cargo flights using Boeing 747s at Latakia International Airport.

On this latest trip, the Elyana departed from Bandar Abbas on April 18 and made an unexpected stop at Jebel Ali before continuing on April 21. What it picked up there remains unclear. Strangely enough, it took over two weeks to reach the southern Suez Canal without any official port calls—typically a six-day journey! With deck cranes onboard, this ship could easily offload goods at less developed ports along its route—perhaps even in Houthi-controlled Yemen or Sudan.

After navigating through the Suez Canal, it finally anchored in Tobruk where it’s been stuck ever since.

Tobruk’s port is under control of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar who governs Eastern Libya and its oil resources. Meanwhile, Western Libya—and Tripoli—is managed by an internationally recognized government with Islamist leanings.

the situation gets even more elaborate with Haftar receiving backing from countries like Egypt and Saudi Arabia—who aren’t typically aligned with Iran—but he also enjoys support from Russia which maintains close ties with Tehran. On the flip side of things are turkey and Qatar who back Tripoli’s government.

This leaves us scratching our heads about who exactly is behind whatever cargo might be aboard the Elyana, as well as where it’s headed next. The mystery deepens when considering who might be turning a blind eye or actively facilitating this delivery—perhaps that explains why this vessel remains anchored without unloading anything yet!

The only certainty here? The consignor likely has connections to or approval from IRGC officials. It wouldn’t be surprising if there’s some hesitation on part of Tobruk’s port authorities given past incidents involving IRGC-linked ships like the ones named Golbon and Jairan, which have seen their fair share of fiery mishaps upon unloading suspicious cargos.