Overview
- Kpler reported that four Iranian-flagged tankers transited the Strait of Hormuz on June 1 with their AIS transponders turned off, carrying about seven million barrels loaded at Kharg Island.
- The U.S. military has continued kinetic enforcement of a blockade, including a June 2 strike that disabled a tanker by hitting its engine room, and officials say several vessels have been damaged in recent weeks.
- Shipping analytics show a sharp rise in ‘‘going dark’’ behavior, with Vortexa estimating roughly 65% of outbound tankers used AIS-off tactics in May to slip through the waterway.
- Some shipowners have begun quietly filing transit plans with NCAGS in Bahrain and the U.S. Navy, which has helped nearly 40 previously stranded vessels exit the Gulf under limited assurances rather than formal escorts.
- The combined use of AIS-off transits and offshore ship-to-ship transfers raises commercial, environmental and safety risks, cuts normal traffic well below prewar levels, and could further tighten global oil availability and insurance costs.