Iran Shipping Update – September 2, 2026

President Trump announced an unprecedentedly sweeping “Economic D-Day” operation against the Iranian regime on 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 September 1, U.S. forces have redirected 84 commercial vessels trying to run the blockade, disabled 3 that didn't comply, and boarded 2 to ensure total compliance.

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 super tanker, 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, 77 maritime incidents involving commercial vessels have been reported across the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, and Gulf of Oman. According to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), these incidents have resulted in 19 seafarer deaths.

Over the past 48 hours, maritime hostilities in the Strait of Hormuz have intensified, with multiple vessels struck—including two supertankers carrying Saudi crude hit by projectiles while transiting. Concurrently, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) launched a coordinated wave of strikes against Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targets, targeting IRGC air defense positions, radar systems, maritime assets, mine-laying capabilities, and communications nodes. Reports also indicate that U.S. forces potentially targeted two Iranian-flagged tankers laden with Iranian oil, under a new unconfirmed “tanker for tanker” policy.

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 31, JMIC has reported a total of 871 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 39 "U.S. facilitated" transits over the 48-hour period of August 30-31, for a total of 1332 facilitated transits since June 20. Since the July low point of ~4.5 transits per day, the rate of transits has increased and during the month of August was ~20 per day. 

Iranian Oil-Laden Tankers Departing the Gulf of Oman

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 September 2 (Credit: UANI)

Number of Iranian Loadings

Since the signing of the U.S.-Iran MoU on June 17, UANI has tracked at least 48 Iranian oil and petrochemical loadings, 15 of which originated from Kharg Island, Iran.

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 loitering off 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, most of these Iran-flagged tankers departed the Galle anchorage and started loitering within the vicinity of Sri Lanka, possibly driven by heightened regulatory or enforcement pressure following 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 September 2 (Credit: Marine Traffic)

On September 2, at least 49 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 the EOPL on September 2 (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 Arabian Sea, and the Mediterranean.

Iran-flagged cargo vessels across the region on September 2 (Credit: Marine Traffic)

Near Karachi, Pakistan, the falsely fagged, Iranian-linked container ships VELON 1 (IMO 9122473) and BATIS (IMO 9465760) remained anchored in the OPL.  

At Kandla, India, the falsely flagged Iran-linked container ship FLORA (IMO 9349576) continued cargo operations in the container terminal, while the falsely flagged Iran-linked container ship ZYRA (IMO 9237084) arrived and berthed next to FLORA for possible transhipment operations.

In the Gulf of Kutch, ARTAM (IMO 9284154) manoeuvred into the Gulf of Kutch and anchored outside of Kandla, while ARTMAN (IMO 9405930) remain anchored at the entrance to the Gulf of Kutch. VIRA 1 (IMO 9088524) continued sailing along the Indian coast to Kandla, with an estimated arrival of September 3.  VIRA 1 changed its MMSI number and switched from an Iran flag to a false Aruba flag. The ship may follow the same pattern as predecessors and conduct a dark rendezvous with an undetected vessel in the Arabian Sea before pulling into port.

Iran-linked cargo ships near Karachi and Kandla on September 2 (Credit: Marine Traffic)

The container ship DAISY (IMO 9270684) remained anchored off Colombo, Sri Lanka, just outside the territorial sea limit. Meanwhile ASYAN (IMO 9165803) arrived offshore near Galle and stopped, likely for logistics, on its way to its next destination in Shanghai.

At Port Klang, Malaysia, the container ship ARTABAZ (IMO 9283007) remained at the anchorage.

At the Malaysian EOPL, fifteen 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, eleven cargo ships were anchored in the EOPL. The AREZOO (IMO 9165786) arrived from Jakarta and joined the bulk carriers ARIES (IMO 9369722), ARTIN (IMO 9305221), AMINA (IMO 9305192), and ARDAVAN (IMO 9465863); general cargo ship PARNIA (IMO 9167265); and container ships BASHT (IMO 9346536), ARZIN (IMO 9284142), HAMOUNA (IMO 9820271), ENZO 2 (IMO 9236652), and KASHAN (IMO 9270696). All these vessels 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-linked cargo vessels in the Malaysian EOPL on September 2 (Credit: Marine Traffic)

In the Gulf of Thailand, the bulk cargo ship PARISAN (IMO 9465851) remained in port at Siam Commercial Seaport near Laem Chabang, Thailand, conducting cargo operations, while BAHJAT (IMO 9405954) remained anchored in the Bay of Bangkok, about 40 km from Laem Chabang port.  Meanwhile, the bulk carrier DELNAVAZ (IMO 9387803) remained anchored just south of Phuket Island. Many media reports indicate that the USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN and the escort ships have arrived in Thailand. U.S. aircraft carriers normally dock at Laem Chabang Container Terminal, which is near these Iranian vessels, and it is possible that those vessels will conduct surveillance on the U.S. warships.

In Indonesia, the general cargo ship AREZOO (IMO 9165786) sailed north in the Java Sea, to its next destination, Port Klang, Malaysia, where it will arrive on September 3.

At Zhuhai, China, the container ships BARZIN (IMO 9820269), BEHTA (IMO 9349590), ARTENOS (IMO 9283021), and RAYEN (IMO 9820245) remained in the Zhuhai anchorage area. Meanwhile, the container ship ALOR 2 (IMO 9228538)remained anchored close to Tamkan Island near Hong Kong.

The container ship SHABDIS (IMO 9349588) continued to transit the eastern Mediterranean on its way to Port Said, where it will arrive on September 3. The container ship FLEXI 2 (IMO 9246322) arrived and anchored at Port Said, Egypt. Meanwhile, the cargo ship ALVAN (IMO 9165798) remained anchored off Benghazi, Libya.

Iran-flagged cargo ship in the Mediterranean on September 2 (Credit: Marine Traffic)