As tensions escalate between the United States and Iran, vessels transiting the Hormuz Strait are increasingly navigating without broadcasting their location signals. While external tracking shows a significant drop in traffic, actual operations continue.
On July 12, Bloomberg analyzed preliminary data from shipping information firm Kpler, revealing that all six cargo ships that passed through the strait the previous day had their Automatic Identification System (AIS) turned off. AIS is a device that communicates a ship's location and movement to external observers.
In the past three days, instances of 'dark shipping'—where vessels do not disclose their location—outnumbered those that did. Some ships were detected again in different waters after losing their signals in the Persian Gulf or Gulf of Oman, suggesting they crossed the strait while concealing their positions.
The decision to avoid tracking stems from conflicting standards set by the U.S. and Iran regarding passage through the strait. Iran maintains that vessels must obtain permission from its authorities to transit, while the U.S. Central Command asserts that routes remain open for free navigation.
The southern route along the Oman coast, supported by the U.S., has effectively come to a standstill, with the last publicly confirmed transit occurring on July 8. In contrast, some vessels continued to use the northern route designated by Iran until July 11.
Recent attacks on ships using the southern route have deterred operations. In the past week, four vessels struck by Iranian forces were located in the northeastern waters near Oman’s Musandam Peninsula, suggesting they likely utilized the U.S.-supported route. Some of these ships had turned off their AIS but were still unable to avoid being hit.
However, opting for the northern route designated by Iran is not without challenges. Ships may face additional costs imposed by Iran and the risk of being targeted by U.S. sanctions.
The trend of dark shipping in the Hormuz Strait intensified in mid-April when the United Arab Emirates transported oil outside the Persian Gulf using tankers that had turned off their location signals. This covert operation is considered a factor in why disruptions to oil supply have been less severe than initially anticipated at the onset of the conflict.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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