A large majority of commercial vessels heading to India are turning off their tracking systems as they pass through the Strait of Hormuz, maritime data has revealed. Experts say ships are doing this to avoid being spotted and attacked by Iranian forces in one of the world’s busiest and most dangerous shipping lanes right now.
Data from maritime intelligence firm Kpler shows that nearly 62% of tankers and cargo vessels sailing from the Persian Gulf to India switched off their transponders while crossing the strait. Between May 1 and June 25, out of 73 ships bound for India that passed through the waterway, 45 sailed without transmitting any location or identity information.
Ships are legally required to broadcast their identity, location and destination at all times using Automatic Identification System transponders. But in high-risk zones, vessels are increasingly choosing to switch off this system entirely to avoid detection. In the shipping world, this is called “going dark.”
Ships flying the flags of countries seen as allied with the West or hostile to Iran are considered especially vulnerable to attack in the strait, the data showed.
Which route are India-bound ships taking?
Shipping data shows vessels are increasingly favouring a lane hugging the Omani coastline, seen as relatively safer than the Iranian-controlled corridor. This route is backed by the United States and Oman but is not recognised by Iran.
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Ships using Iranian traffic lanes typically keep their transponders on, though some have also gone dark even while sailing under Iranian monitoring. Of at least 69 India-bound vessels tracked by Kpler, including ships flagged to Panama, Liberia, the UAE and the Marshall Islands, 14 used the Oman-side route. Mwanwhile, 10 ships crossed Iran-controlled lanes, showing that dark transits are happening across both corridors.
Only four India-flagged ships made the crossing during this period. Two switched off their trackers, while the remaining two continued broadcasting their details across both routes.
Has Iran been attacking ships that were given clearance?
Since the conflict escalated in late February, Iran has repeatedly changed its transit rules and, in several cases, attacked vessels even after granting them permission to pass.
In mid-April, the India-flagged tanker Sanmar Herald was attacked near Larak Island, where Iranian forces control maritime traffic. A recorded conversation that later surfaced captured the ship’s captain saying that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps navy had cleared the vessel before the attack took place.
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Are escort operations making a difference?
Only partially. In early May, the United States launched escorted transit operations along the Oman-side corridor, a move later recognised by both Oman and the United Nations’ International Maritime Organization. However, those escort operations were scaled back within days of launching.
Ships have continued using the route even without escorts, but the danger has not gone away. In mid-May, an India-flagged cargo vessel sank near Limah on the Omani coast following a suspected Iranian attack, a stark reminder that no route through the strait is entirely safe.
