Tankers Entering Hormuz During Iran War Are Exiting with Cargo — But Many Are Going Dark on AIS
A small but determined group of shipowners is successfully running the gauntlet through the Strait of Hormuz. According to vessel-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg, at least 19 oil- and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)-carrying ships without Iranian links have both entered the Persian Gulf and exited with cargo since March 1, 2026 — the period since the outbreak of the Iran war. This stands in sharp contrast to roughly 100 similar tankers that entered before the conflict and remain stranded inside the Gulf amid fears of attacks, Iranian restrictions, and a complex U.S. blockade of Iranian ports.
Successful Flotillas and Supertankers
Bloomberg’s reporting is corroborated by independent tanker-tracking firms and maritime outlets: Kpler and LSEG data (widely cited by Reuters, Safety4Sea, and Marine Insight) confirm multiple successful VLCC (Very Large Crude Carrier) exits in recent days and weeks. Specific examples include the Agios Fanourios I and Kiara M (each carrying ~2 million barrels of Iraqi crude), which exited around May 10. The Basrah Energy (2 million barrels of Upper Zakum crude) exited earlier on May 6.
Another Bloomberg report noted four supertankers, each hauling roughly 2 million barrels of mostly Iraqi crude, exiting since May 10 — equating to a temporary flow rate close to 2 million barrels per day. Reuters has tracked additional vessels such as the Eneos Endeavor (Kuwait + UAE crude) and Yuan Hua Hu (Iraqi crude to China). Pre-war traffic averaged roughly 100+ vessels per day (or up to ~138 in some reports). Since the war began in late February/early March 2026, it collapsed to a trickle — sometimes just a handful of transits daily, with total ships transiting far below normal levels (e.g., only 279 known transits from late Feb to mid-April per Kpler).
Tankers Going Dark on AIS
Multiple credible sources confirm that tankers — including some of the recent successful exits — are switching off their Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponders during transits through the Strait of Hormuz. The Kiara M exited with its transponder turned off, according to Kpler data reported by Safety4Sea and others. Broader reporting (including from Windward, Tradlinx analysts, and maritime intelligence) shows AIS suppression, “going dark,” GPS spoofing, and identity manipulation have become common tactics in the high-risk zone.
Public AIS data may be underreporting actual traffic by as much as 50% in the area. This practice allows vessels to reduce visibility to potential threats while still completing voyages. Some reactivate AIS only after clearing the narrowest and riskiest sections. This is not limited to any single flag or owner — it reflects the elevated threat environment where both state and non-state actors have targeted shipping.
Oil and LNG Flows
Oil (Crude & Products): These 19+ successful round-trip voyages represent incremental but meaningful relief. Each typical VLCC carries about 2 million barrels. Recent clusters of exits have temporarily added flows on the order of ~2 million barrels per day in short windows. Cargoes are primarily Iraqi, UAE (e.g., Upper Zakum), and Kuwaiti crudes heading to Asia (Vietnam, China, India). Normal pre-crisis flows through Hormuz averaged ~20–21 million barrels per day of crude, condensate, and products (~25% of global seaborne oil trade). Current flows are a small fraction of that, though they have crept higher recently with more supertankers exiting.
Original Article: Tankers Entering Hormuz During Iran War Are Exiting with Cargo — But Many Are Going Dark on AIS — Energynewsbeat