Amid ongoing conflict in the Middle East, the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed to mainstream commercial shipping, with only limited vessels transiting due to attacks, mines, and threats.nytimes+1
Iran-linked tankers dominate the few passages, often as part of "shadow fleets" carrying sanctioned oil to destinations like China. Mainstream Western and many Chinese-flagged ships have halted or rerouted, dropping daily transits from over 150 to around 13 detected.bloomberg+2
Unmarked or "dark" ships—those masking identity by turning off Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponders—frequently get through undetected until far from the strait. These include sanctioned very large crude carriers (VLCCs) like the Cuma (Guyana-flagged, US-sanctioned) and others from Iran's National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC). Shadow fleet tankers, with opaque ownership, account for most of the 13 tracked crossings from March 2-9, though the true number is higher due to spoofing and dark transits.news.sky+3
| Ship Type/Name | Details | Destination |
|---|---|---|
| Iranian VLCCs (e.g., Cuma) | Sanctioned, AIS often off; 6+ since Feb 28 iranintl | China |
| Shadow fleet tankers | 8 of 13 tracked March 2-9; carry sanctioned oil news.sky | Various (e.g., Asia) |
| NITC supertankers | 4 with 2M barrels each, departed pre-Feb 28 reuters | Singapore area |
| Greek-managed (Shenlong) | Rare non-Iran; Saudi crude reuters | India |
Iran claims ships need its authorization, while US forces target threats like mine-layers. Security firms report 7 ships passed since March 8, mostly Iranian-associated.english.aawsat+2