It has been an enjoyable experience watching Iran return more fully into the embrace of the international shipping community. Since seven years of sanctions were eased in 2016, the country’s shipping industry has been re-establishing older global trade patterns.

National Iranian Tanker Co (NITC) has been back using International Group protection and indemnity clubs such as Skuld. The company’s Iranian tanker fleet, which has a good safety record overall — although now tarnished by the Sanchi collision off ­China in January — had previously been forced to use its own in-house Kish P&I Club.