Iran War Shipping Update - April 22, 2026

During the Iran War, the Iranian regime’s Ghost Fleet has continued to operate actively — loading cargo, transiting the Strait of Hormuz, and heading east toward its primary buyer, China. The U.S. blockade may now be constraining those exports, as UANI’s shipping updates continue to track the ghost fleet’s illicit maritime movements throughout the conflict.

U.S. Blockade 

On April 7, President Trump announced a two-week ceasefire with Iran. Pakistan mediated ceasefire talks, which President Trump stated was contingent on the “complete, immediate, and safe opening” of the Strait of Hormuz, effectively ending its wartime closure. However, on April 12, after ceasefire talks with Iran ended without an agreement, President Trump announced that the U.S. would initiate a naval blockade of all Iranian ports and coastal areas effective April 13. U.S. Central Command posted that U.S. forces are “executing the mission to blockade ships entering and departing Iranian ports” on April 14. By blockading vessels calling on Iranian ports, including tankers carrying Iranian oil, the administration aims to cut off the Iranian regime’s major source of revenue. The blockade, now implemented, represents a significant escalation in U.S. enforcement strategy, with implications for global energy markets, regional stability, and the future calibration of U.S. sanctions policy.

A second round of U.S.-Iran talks was scheduled for April 21 in Islamabad, Pakistan but reports said the meeting was suspended indefinitely, after Iran refused participate insisting that the U.S. first end the blockade. President Donald Trump announced on April 21 that he would extend the ceasefire while enforcing the blockade until Iran responds to U.S. negotiating positions or until talks reach a dead end.

On April 21, U.S. CENTCOM posted that U.S. forces have directed 28 vessels to turn around or return to an Iranian port since the commencement of the blockade. 

Status of the Strait of Hormuz

On April 17, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi declared that the Strait of Hormuz is “open” for the remaining period of the ceasefire. However, he said permitted passage remains limited to the coordinated route announced by Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organisation, meaning the international shipping lanes are not fully open. Traffic in the Strait started to increase, until Iran then said on April 18 that it was closing the Strait again in response to the U.S. maintaining its naval blockade. Reports from maritime security sources also indicated multiple attacks northeast of Oman on April 18, including attacks involving a tanker, a container ship, and suspicious activity near a cruise ship. 

The Strait of Hormuz therefore remains a critical flashpoint in the Iran campaign. Since the start of the conflict, 37 confirmed maritime incidents involving commercial vessels and offshore infrastructure have been reported across the Arabian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, and Gulf of Oman.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said it seized two container ships, EPAMINONDAS (IMO 9153862) and MSC FRANCESCA (IMO 9401116), in the Strait of Hormuz on April 22, claiming they violated Iranian maritime rules. MSC FRANCESCA is now at anchor in Iranian waters, while EPAMINONDAS is transiting back towards the Persian Gulf along Iranian waters. International maritime sources reported that another container ship EUPHORIA (IMO 9235828) came under gunfire from an IRGC gunboat, underscoring the escalating risk to transiting the Strait.

The escalating risk has created severe congestion and instability across the Persian Gulf’s shipping lanes. Prior to the outbreak of hostilities, about 138 vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz daily.  Since March 1, 2026, marine traffic data shows growing clusters of loitering vessels on both sides of the Strait of Hormuz, with many refraining from transiting due to safety concerns.

Strait of Hormuz (SoH) transits from April 6 to April 21 (Credit: JMIC)

OFAC-sanctioned and UANI-listed tankers — alongside some non-sanctioned, ostensibly legitimate vessels — have transited the Strait of Hormuz intermittently switching off their AIS signals. Many have passed the waterway between Larak and Qeshm islands before continuing through the Strait, while a handful of others sailed via Omani waters along Oman’s coastline, creating two parallel transit patterns as shipping adapted to the evolving security environment. So far, there have been no openly transiting vessels through international shipping lanes since the conflict began, raising real questions of when usual patterns will resume as the fragile ceasefire holds.

Numerous vessels that have a history of transporting non-Iranian cargoes from the Persian Gulf are now diverting due to heightened security risks and shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz from the Iran war, causing many to seek alternative cargoes in U.S. ports, such as Galveston.

Iranian Oil-Laden Tankers in the Persian Gulf 

UANI has identified at least 24 tankers laden with Iranian oil — primarily crude — currently operating inside the Persian Gulf, west of the Strait of Hormuz.

Map of Iranian oil laden tankers in the Persian Gulf on April 22

Iran-linked Vessels at Chabahar Port, Iran

Iran-linked tankers and cargo vessels are loitering and anchoring outside of the Persian Gulf at Chabahar Port, Iran. On April 21, 5 Iran-flagged tankers, laden with Iranian oil, and 10 cargo ships were observed in satellite imagery near Chabahar Port.

Number of Iranian Loadings

Since the outbreak of the conflict, UANI has tracked at least 50 Iranian oil loadings, 26 of which originated from Kharg Island, Iran. These shipments represent approximately 60 million barrels of Iranian oil, generating an estimated revenue of over $5 billion for the IRGC, which continues to fund Iran’s active missile and drone programs central to the conflict. This figure is notably higher than usual given the sharp increase in oil prices, including Iranian crude.

Iran-oil Laden Tankers That Have Left the Persian Gulf

Since the start of the conflict, UANI has observed at least 49 ghost fleet tankers laden with Iranian oil that have left the Persian Gulf — some broadcasting their AIS signals and others operating clandestinely. These tankers are enroute to Malaysia to conduct ship-to-ship (STS) transfers with other ghost fleet vessels bound for China. 

Since the U.S. blockade, several Iranian oil laden tankers have been anchoring and loitering in the Gulf of Oman with their AIS signal on. According to AIS, the LPG tanker RAINE (IMO 9223540) transited towards the U.S. blockade, where it turned around on April 19. Meanwhile, the Oil/Chemical tanker AVA 6 (IMO 9226140) is reportedly attempting to pass the U.S. blockade today. 

Eight tankers, laden with Iranian oil, in the Gulf of Oman on April 22 (Credit: Marine Traffic)

After loitering near Jamnagar for about a week, FELICITY (IMO 9183934) and DERYA (IMO 9569700) departed the Gulf of Kutch, India. FELICITYleft on April 18, reporting empty, and then turned off its AIS signal. Satellite imagery confirms that FELICITY is heading back empty towards the Persian Gulf, with the tanker passing the U.S. blockade between April 20 and 21. Meanwhile, DERYA departed southward on April 19, still reporting laden with a deep draft of 20 meters, and then turned off its AIS. DERYA’s location is yet to be confirmed in satellite imagery. 

Tankers sailing the Arabian Sea between April 18 and 21 (Credit: Marine Traffic & ESA Copernicus)

Iran-flagged Tankers Globally

UANI has also monitored Iran-flagged tankers operating beyond the Persian Gulf. Since the conflict began, at least 28 Iran-flagged tankers have reached Southeast Asian waters bound for the Eastern Outer Port Limits (EOPL) anchorage off Johor, Malaysia. On April 22, two Iran flagged tankers SALINA (IMO 9357377) and TOUR 2 (IMO 9364112) transited the Malacca Strait, likely en route to the EOPL to conduct an STS transfer with other vessels bound for China.

Iran flagged tankers transit the Malacca Strait on April 22 (Credit: Marine Traffic)

Meanwhile, at least 31 Iran-flagged tankers have begun returning and reporting empty to Iran from the Malaysian EOPL anchorage and Southeast Asian sea lanes, since the start of the conflict.  

Iran-Oil Laden Tankers off the Malaysian Coast

From February 28, the start of the conflict, to today, UANI has recorded 108 tankers laden with Iranian oil in the EOPL anchorage, a ghost fleet hotspot approximately 70 km off Malaysia’s coast. All of these tankers have been spotted in satellite imagery.

On April 22, 32 tankers listed on UANI's Ghost Armada were anchored or loitering in the EOPL area with their AIS signals active. Despite the ongoing conflict, ghost fleet tankers continue to operate with impunity across Southeast Asia's sea lanes. 

Iran-Flagged Cargo Ships Globally

Three Iran-flagged cargo ships, MIAMI PRIDE (IMO 9274941), BATIS (IMO 9465760) and SHABDIS (IMO 9349588) all transited the South China Sea for various destinations on April 22. The bulk cargo ship MIAMI PRIDE sailed, laden with unknown cargo, to Kuantan, Malaysia, where it has now stopped. The container ships SHABDIS, similar to TOUSKA, is broadcasting Zhuhai, China, as its destination on AIS, while the destination for the laden bulk cargo ship BATIS is unknown. SHABDIS briefly stopped in the EOPL on April 21 for unknown reasons.

Iran flagged cargo ships transited the Singapore Strait on April 22 (Credit: Marine Traffic)

The Iran-flagged, OFAC-sanctioned bulk carrier BAHJAT (IMO 9405954) arrived in port Kuantan, Malaysia on April 19, and discharged unknown cargo on April 20. BAHJAT remains berthed there today alongside two other bulk cargo ships that each arrived at nearly the same time from Vostochny, and Nakhodka, Russia, near Vladivostok.

Two Iran-flagged cargo ships in Kuantan, Malaysia on April 22 (Credit: Marine Traffic)

The Iran-flagged bulk carrier ANDIA (IMO 9193197) arrived and is at anchor near Fuzhou, China on April 22. This is the first time an Iran flagged cargo vessel has arrived at this port since the start of the war. 

 Iran flagged bulk carrier at anchor near Fuzhou, China on April 22 (Credit: Marine Traffic)