Iran Shipping Update – August 26, 2026

President Trump announced an unprecedentedly sweeping “Economic D-Day” operation against the Iranian regime in August 19. The security situation in the Strait of Hormuz remains highly volatile. Iran continues to target commercial shipping and Gulf States, while Tehran’s Yemeni Houthi partners continue to threaten an expansion of the maritime conflict into the Red Sea.

For UANI’s recommendations for U.S. sanctions on Iran following “Economic D-Day,” read here.

U.S. Blockade and Sanctions

On July 14, U.S. forces reimposed the blockade against vessels transiting to or from Iranian ports and coastal areas while supporting compliant traffic in regional waters. As of August 24, U.S. forces have redirected 71 commercial vessels trying to run the blockade, disabled 3 that didn't comply, and boarded 2 to ensure total compliance. Meanwhile, more than 40 vessels supporting humanitarian aid have been allowed to pass.

On August 24, Secretary Bessent announced sanctions on an international network of brokers, companies, and ghost fleet tankers responsible for the transportation of Iranian oil. As part of the package, OFAC issued additional guidance outlining severe sanctions risks associated with bowing to Iranian demands for shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Additionally, OFAC called on maritime service providers to exercise enhanced due diligence on all vessels attempting to transit the waterway.

Houthi Blockade

On July 20, Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabian ports. On August 24, the Houthis fired a ballistic missile at a Saudi Arabian-owned and -flagged supertanker, AMZAN (9693745), sailing through the Red Sea.

Houthi threats and attacks against Saudi-linked shipping are already prompting some tankers, but not all, to reroute in the Red Sea. Rising insecurity in the Red Sea has caused an initial drop in tanker transits through Bab el-Mandeb since the Houthis declared their blockade, but transits have been slowly rising over the past week, according to data published by Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC). Numerous tankers have been observed broadcasting “CHINESE OWNER” or “ARMED GUARD ON BOARD” as their destination during the transit of the Bab el-Mandeb, likely to help prevent being targeted.

Status of the Strait of Hormuz

Since the start of the Iran War, 70 maritime incidents involving commercial vessels have been reported across the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, and Gulf of Oman. The two latest maritime incidents on August 18, immediately following the expiration of the MoU, were Iranian attacks on two separate vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. The attacks resulted in one seafarer casualty, bringing the total number of seafarer casualties to 19, according to the IMO.

On August 25, President Trump announced, “all mines have been removed and/or detonated from within the International Waters of the Strait of Hormuz... There is a Zero Tolerance policy on mine placement in full force and effect.” At the same time, JMIC reported that “Navigation interference persists, and mine-risk reporting remains relevant within and adjacent to the TSS. Clearance and mine-surveying operations continue throughout the Strait of Hormuz.” There is still no evidence of commercial shipping taking the risk and transiting the TSS in the middle of the waterway.

Prior to the outbreak of the Iran War, about 138 vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz daily. Throughout the conflict, marine traffic data showed large clusters of loitering vessels on both sides of the Strait of Hormuz, with many ships refraining from transiting due to safety concerns. After the signing of the MoU, JMIC reported an increase in open transits through the Strait of Hormuz. On June 24, JMIC recorded 54 transits, the highest daily total since the outbreak of the conflict. As of August 24, JMIC has reported a total of 844 vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz since the date of the signing of the MoU. 

Open transits of commercial vessels through the southern corridor of the Strait of Hormuz declined following the IRGC strikes on commercial shipping starting July 7 but have not ceased entirely. Since the strikes, the traffic has been dominated by Iranian- and Chinese-linked vessels transiting via the northern corridor. In the past weeks, an increasing number of vessels have transited the southern corridor without broadcasting AIS location data, with many of these movements facilitated by U.S. forces.

JMIC reported 36 "U.S. facilitated" transits over the 48-hour period of August 23–24, for a total of 1191 facilitated transits since June 20. Since the July low point of ~4.5 transits per day, the rate of transits has and during the last reporting period was ~18 per day.

Iranian Oil-Laden Tankers Departing the Gulf of Oman

Since the announcement of the MoU on June 14, UANI has tracked 67 tankers departing the Gulf of Oman laden with Iranian oil and petrochemicals. These exports represent approximately 80 million barrels of Iranian oil, generating over $6 billion in revenue for the IRGC, which continues to fund Iran’s missile and drone programs. These figures are estimates. The pricing and volumes associated with Chinese purchases of Iranian crude are not publicly disclosed, though such cargoes are widely assessed to be sold at a discount of around 10 to 12 dollars per barrel.

Tankers laden with Iranian oil and petrochemicals are currently clustering in anchorages along the Iranian coastline due to the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports. Since the reinstatement of the blockade, around only five handymax-size tankers carrying Iranian LPG have successfully passed the blockade line. However, UANI has not tracked any tanker laden with Iranian crude oil that has successfully departed the Gulf of Oman and avoided enforcement actions by U.S. forces since July 12, before the blockade was reinstated.  

Iranian Oil-Laden Tankers

UANI has identified at least 50 tankers laden with Iranian oil — primarily crude, but also other petroleum products and LPG — currently operating along the Iranian coastline.   

Positions of tankers laden with Iranian oil on August 26 (Credit: UANI)

Number of Iranian Loadings

Since the signing of the U.S.-Iran MoU on June 17, UANI has tracked at least 46 Iranian oil and petrochemical loadings, 15 of which originated from Kharg Island, Iran. On August 26, no tankers were observed loading off Kharg Island.

No tankers loading at Kharg Island on August 26 (Credit: ESA Copernicus)

Iran-flagged Tankers Globally

UANI has also monitored Iran-flagged tankers operating beyond the Persian Gulf. Since the signing of the now-expired MoU, 26 Iran-flagged tankers have reached the Singapore Strait bound for the EOPL anchorage off Johor, Malaysia. All these Iranian tankers are expected to conduct STS transfers in the EOPL.

There are 7 Iran-flagged tankers currently in the EOPL: HUMANITY (IMO 9180281), STARLA (IMO 9569621), HILDA I (IMO 9357389), DAN (IMO 9357729), HAPPINESS I (IMO 9212905), HEDY (IMO 9212888), and DORENA (IMO 9569669). They have all previously passed the Singapore Strait and have since stopped broadcasting their location on AIS. 

DREAM II (IMO 9356593), STREAM (IMO 9569633), HALTI (IMO 9212890), SEA CLIFF (IMO 9569657), HERO II (IMO 9362073), SILVIA I (IMO 9172052), SNOW (IMO 9569619), HELM (IMO 9357391), DUNE (IMO 9569712), DEEP SEA (IMO 9218492), DIAMOND II (IMO 9218478), DINO 1 (IMO 9569671), SONIA I (IMO 9357365), DORE (IMO 9357717), HERBY (IMO 9362059), SEVIN (IMO 9357353), FELICITY (IMO 9183934), HENNA (IMO 9212929), AMBER (IMO 9357406), and DIONA (IMO 9569695) have all departed the EOPL in ballast after completing STS transfers.

Iran-flagged HUGE (IMO 9357183) has also departed the EOPL anchorage. This tanker had been loitering unladen in the EOPL anchorage for over two weeks after conducting an STS transfer of Iranian crude south of Hong Kong in the South China Sea on July 9. It is now at Galle anchorage with the other Iran-flagged tankers in ballast.

These departing Iran-flagged tankers are now heading to anchorages across the Indo-Pacific rather than back to Iranian ports because of the U.S. blockade. DIONA is loitering offshore Duqm, Oman, while 20 empty Iran-flagged tankers are currently anchored of Galle, Sri Lanka. Namely, STREAM, HALTI, DREAM II, HERO II, SILVIA I, SEA CLIFF, SNOW, HELM, DIAMOND II, DEEP SEA, DUNE, DINO I, SONIA I, HERBY, SEVIN, AMBER, HENNA, FELICITY, HUGE, and DORE. From August 23, several of the Iran-flagged tankers departed the Galle anchorage started loitering within the vicinity of Sri Lanka, possibly driven by heightened regulatory or enforcement pressure following recent press coverage of UANI’s monitoring of Iran-flagged tankers in Sri Lanka’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

Iran-flagged tankers near Sri Lanka on August 26 (Credit: Marine Traffic)

On August 26, at least 51 tankers listed on UANI's Ghost Armada were anchored or loitering near the EOPL area with their AIS signals active, demonstrating that Ghost Fleet tankers continue to operate with impunity across Southeast Asia's sea lanes. 

UANI Ghost Armada tankers broadcasting on AIS in EOPL on August 26 (Credit: Marine Traffic)

Iran-Flagged Cargo Ships Globally

Despite ongoing pressure of OFAC sanctions, and new constraints of the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports, approximately 50 Iranian-flagged cargo ships continue to operate openly across sea lanes, ports, and anchorages throughout the Indo-Pacific region, the Red Sea, the Mediterranean, and the Baltic Sea.

Iran-flagged cargo vessels across the region on August 25 (Credit: Marine Traffic)

At the Gulf of Kutch in India, the falsely flagged Iran-linked container ship ZYRA (IMO 9237084) arrived and anchored near VELON 1 (IMO 9122473) outside of Kandla, India. FLORA (IMO 9349576) remains anchored at the Mumbai anchorage and is scheduled to pull into PSA Mumbai container terminal on August 28.

Iran-flagged cargo ships in the Gulf of Kutch on August 26 (Credit: Marine Traffic)

The container ship DAISY (IMO 9270684) departed Chennai after completing cargo operations in port at the PSA Chennai International Terminal, berth SCB III. The container ship’s next destination is currently unknown. DAISY is OFAC sanctioned and there is risk of secondary sanctions for the port operator and other service providers.

Iran-flagged cargo departed Chennai on August 26 (Credit: Marine Traffic & LANDSAT)

At Port Klang, Malaysia, the container ships ARTABAZ (IMO 9283007) and SHIBA (IMO 9270646) remained at the anchorage.   

At the Malaysian EOPL, thirteen Iranian-flagged cargo ships loitered in and near the EOPL. Just north of the EOPL, four bulk cargo ships remained anchored there: ANDIA (IMO 9193197), GOLAFRUZ (IMO 9323833), GANJ (IMO 9305219),and BEHDOKHT (IMO 9405978). Meanwhile, in the EOPL, nine cargo ships remained anchored: the bulk carriers BAHJAT (IMO 9405954), ARIES (IMO 9369722), ARTIN (IMO 9305221), and AMINA (IMO 9305192); general cargo ship PARNIA (IMO 9167265); and container ships NYRA 2 (IMO 9241487), BASHT (IMO 9346536), ARZIN (IMO 9284142), and HAMOUNA (IMO 9820271). All these ships will likely remain in the EOPL while the U.S. blockade is still in force, receiving occasional logistics support, despite the risk of secondary sanctions from OFAC.

Iran-flagged cargo ships near the EOPL on August 26 (Credit: Marine Traffic)

In the Java Sea, the general cargo ship AREZOO (IMO 9165786) departed Surabaya on August 25 and is approaching Jakarta today.

Iran-flagged cargo ship near Jakarta on August 26 (Credit: Marine Traffic)

In the Gulf of Thailand, the bulk cargo ship PARISAN (IMO 9465851) remained anchored in the Bay of Bangkok, about 40 km from Laem Chabang port. The bulk cargo ship ARDAVAN (IMO 9465863) departed the Siam Commercial Sea Port. Meanwhile, the bulk carrier DELNAVAZ (IMO 9387803) remained in port at the Phuket Deep Sea Port, Thailand. Today, media reports indicated that the USS Abraham Lincoln would be visiting Thailand, and these Iranian cargo vessels, as well as others in Southeast Asia, may potentially conduct surveillance on any visiting U.S. Navy ships.

Iran-flagged cargo ships in Thai ports and Thai waters on August 26 (Credit: Marine Traffic)

At Zhuhai, China, the container ship RADIN (IMO 9820257) pulled into the container terminal for cargo operations. RADIN departed Bandar Abbas on July 8, stopped for a day at the Malaysian EOPL on July 20, loitered in South China Sea from July 24 to 26, and arrived at the Zhuhai anchorage on July 27, prior to pulling into port today. BEHTA (IMO 9349590), ARTENOS (IMO 9283021), RAYEN (IMO 9820245), and BARZIN (IMO 9820269) remain in the Zhuhai anchorage area.

Near Hong Kong, the container ship ALOR 2 (IMO 9228538) remained anchored close to Tamkan Island near Hong Kong.

Iran-flagged cargo ships near Zhuhai and Hong Kong on August 26 (Credit: Marine Traffic)

In the Gulf of Aden, the general cargo ship AYSAN (IMO 9165803) transited toward Socotra Island and the Arabian Sea. Its destination on AIS is listed at Taicang port in Shanghai, China, with an estimated arrival of September 17. It will most likely stop in the Malaysian EOPL on the way to China. There have been several incidents of piracy and hijacking in the Gulf of Aden in the past week.

In the Black Sea, the container ship FLEXI 2 (IMO 9246322) continued drifting in the EEZ of Türkiye, about 40km offshore of Ordu. On AIS, FLEXI 2 changed its destination from Novorossiysk, Russia, to Poti, Georga, but will likely visit the Russian port, while dark on AIS, due to risk from Ukrainian drone attacks on the port.

Iran-flagged cargo ship in the Black Sea on August 26 (Credit: Marine Traffic)

The container ship SHABDIS (IMO 9349588) transited the North Sea today, via Danish, German, and Dutch EEZ, toward the Dover Strait. The Dover Strait is a mandatory reporting area, and ships passing through the UK section may be required to provide proof of valid insurance when requested by UK authorities, even if they are not calling at a UK port. SHABDIS is currently listing its destination as the Suez Canal and will most likely sail to another Asian port following the canal transit.

Iran-flagged cargo ship approaching the Dover Straits on August 26 (Credit: Marine Traffic)