Iran Shipping Update – September 28, 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 Iran continues to target commercial shipping and Gulf States, U.S. forces have responded with strikes against Iranian military assets and IRGC-owned tankers.

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

UANI Trip to the Malaysian Eastern Outer Port Limits (EOPL) anchorage

On September 16, the UANI team chartered a typical supply vessel and travelled 100 nautical miles into the South China Sea to witness and expose the illicit activities of the ghost fleet in the Malaysian EOPL anchorage. Prior to the UANI team’s trip to the EOPL, it was reported that Malaysian authorities had conducted enforcement actions in the anchorage in the days leading up to the trip. Despite this, the UANI team observed and identified more than 22 Iran-linked tankers and cargo ships in the anchorage. To read the Wall Street Journal article covering the trip—authored by UANI CEO Ambassador Mark Wallace and Chairman Governor Jeb Bush—click here.

UANI team supply vessel in the Malaysian EOPL on September 16 (Credit: UANI)

U.S. Blockade and Military Actions

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 25, U.S. forces have redirected 122 commercial vessels trying to run the blockade, disabled three that didn’t comply, and boarded two to ensure total compliance. 

Houthi Blockade

On July 20, Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabian ports. Media reports also indicate that the Houthis have seized islands in the Bab el-Mandeb and the port of Mocha.

While Houthi threats and attacks against Saudi-linked shipping initially prompted some tankers to reroute, transits have been slowly rising over the past week—likely reflecting a decrease in maritime strikes—according to data published by Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC).

Status of the Strait of Hormuz

Since the start of the Iran War, 85 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 24 seafarer deaths. 

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 September 23, JMIC has reported a total of 981 vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz since June 18, for a total of 1,594 since the beginning of the war.

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 are transiting the southern corridor bidirectionally without broadcasting AIS location data, with many of these movements facilitated by U.S. forces.

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 reinstatement of the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports. Since the blockade resumed, around only eight handymax-size tankers carrying Iranian LPG and naphtha 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 55 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 28 (Credit: UANI)

Number of Iranian Loadings

Since the U.S. reinstated the maritime blockade on July 14, UANI has tracked at least 37 Iranian oil and petrochemical loadings, eight of which originated from Kharg Island, Iran. On September 28, three tankers were observed moored at Bandar-e Mahshahr most likely to load Iranian fuel oil or petrochemicals. None of these tankers were broadcasting their location on AIS.

Three tankers moored at Bandar-e Mahshahr on September 28 (Credit: ESA Copernicus)

Iran-linked Tankers Globally

UANI has also monitored Iran-flagged tankers operating beyond the Persian Gulf, particularly in the waters near Malaysia. In the days leading up to the UANI team’s trip to the Malaysian EOPL in the South China Sea, it was purported that Malaysian authorities had conducted enforcement actions in the anchorage. Prior to purported recent enforcement actions, seven Iran-flagged tankers had been loitering in the anchorage, namely: HUMANITY (IMO 9180281),STARLA (IMO 9569621), HILDA I (IMO 9357389), DAN (IMO 9357729), HAPPINESS I (IMO 9212905), HEDY (IMO 9212888), and DORENA (IMO 9569669). These tankers either had already conducted or are waiting to conduct an STS transfer of Iranian oil.

However, due to recent enforcement actions by Malaysian authorities, some of these Iran-flagged tankers had departed the EOPL and transited the South China Sea northbound to anchorages south of Hong Kong and Zhuhai, China. DORENA, HEDY, HUMANITY and STARLA were last observed in satellite imagery in the EOPL anchorage on September 16. DAN, however, briefly broadcasted its location on AIS on September 25 transiting the South China Sea southbound towards the EOPL.

Iran-flagged DAN transiting the South China Sea on September 25 (Credit: Marine Traffic)

Meanwhile, HILDA 1 and HAPPINESS transited northbound. HILDA 1 then conducted an STS transfer of Iranian crude oil south of Zhuhai on September 17, while HAPPINESS I conducted an STS of Iranian crude oil south of Hong Kong on September 22.

In addition, at least 22 tankers listed on UANI's Ghost Armada were anchored or loitering north of the EOPL anchorage with their AIS signals active. These tankers most likely departed the anchorage due to the purported recent enforcement actions of the Malaysian maritime authorities. Meanwhile, about 18 tankers listed on UANI’s Ghost Armadacontinued loitering in the EOPL anchorage, demonstrating that Ghost Fleet tankers continue to operate with impunity across Southeast Asia's sea lanes.

Ghost Armada tankers near the EOPL on September 28 (Credit: Marine Traffic)

Iran-flagged tankers, empty after conducting STS transfers, are now loitering at anchorages across the Indo-Pacific rather than transiting back to Iranian ports because of the U.S. blockade. DIONA (IMO 9569695) is loitering offshore Duqm, Oman, while 20 empty Iran-flagged tankers are currently loitering off Sri Lanka. These tankers are 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 HUGE (IMO 9357183). 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). Most of these vessels are intermittently broadcasting their locations on AIS. 

Iran-flagged tankers near Sri Lanka on September 28 (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 Indian Ocean, the Mediterranean, and the North Sea.

Iran-flagged cargo vessels across the region on September 28 (Credit: Marine Traffic)

Near Karachi, Pakistan, the falsely flagged Iranian-linked container ship BATIS (IMO 9465760) remained anchored in the Karachi OPL anchorage.

At the Gulf of Kutch in India, VELON 1 (IMO 9122473) joined NYRA 2 (IMO 9241487) and SHAMIM (IMO 9270658) in the anchorage near Kandla Port on September 27. The Iran-flagged ARTMAN (IMO 9405930) and ARTAM (IMO 9284154) also remained anchored outside of the Gulf of Kutch. The container ship DAISY (IMO 9270684) continued to sail north along the western coast of India to Kandla with an estimated arrival of September 29.

Iran-linked cargo ships near the Gulf of Kutch, India, on September 28 (Credit: Marine Traffic)

After unknown cargo operations, the container ship VIRA 1 (IMO 9088524) departed the Nhava Sheva container terminal near Mumbai on September 28 and headed south with its destination listed as Port Klang, Malaysia. Meanwhile, the falsely flagged container ship ENZO 2 (IMO 9236652) remained in the anchorage outside the port.

At Port Klang, Malaysia, the container ships AREZOO (IMO 9165786), ARTABAZ (IMO 9283007), BASHT (IMO 9346536), and SHIBA (IMO 9270646) remained at the anchorage outside Port Klang. Meanwhile, FLORA (IMO 9349576) is en route to Port Klang from Kandla.

At the Malaysian EOPL, 14 Iranian-flagged cargo ships were in or near the anchorage: BEHDOKHT (IMO 9405978), DARYABAR (IMO 9369710), PARISAN (IMO 9465851), GOLAFRUZ (IMO 9323833), ANDIA (IMO 9193197), BAHJAT (IMO 9405954), ARDAVAN (IMO 9465863), KASHAN (IMO 9270696), ARZIN (IMO 9284142), PARNIA (IMO 9167265), AMINA (IMO 9305192), BASHT (IMO 9346536), ARIES (IMO 9369722), ARTIN (IMO 9305221), and GANJ (IMO 9305219). Most of these vessels will likely remain in the EOPL while the U.S. blockade is still in force, receiving regular logistics support from Malaysian service providers, despite the risk of secondary sanctions from OFAC. 

Iran-flagged cargo ships near the Malaysian EOPL on September 28 (Credit: Marine Traffic)

In Thailand, the bulk carrier DELNAVAZ (IMO 9387803) remained anchored just south of Phuket Island. Meanwhile, the bulk carrier PARSHAD (IMO 9387786) departed the Thai port of Songkhla on September 28.

Near Shanghai, the container ships ASYAN (IMO 9165803) and ABYAN (IMO 9349667) remained anchored at CJK anchorage. ALOR 2 (IMO 9228538) arrived at CJK from Hong Kong on September 24, then entered Shanghai Port on September 25, and has since turned its AIS signal off. After both departed Shanghai on September 25, container ship ZARDIS (IMO 9349679) is now transiting the South China Sea listing the Suez Canal as its destination, while BEHTA (IMO 9349590) has continued loitering in international waters about 140 km offshore of Zhoushan island. 

In the Taiwan Strait, the container ship SHABDIS (IMO 9349588) has remained anchored in the middle of the strait since September 20. The vessel is en route to Shanghai, China, from the Russian Baltic.

At Zhuhai, China, the container ships BARZIN (IMO 9820269), RAYEN (IMO 9820245), ARTENOS (IMO 9820245), and RADIN (IMO 9820257) remained in the anchorage. Zhuhai Port at Gaolan Island has previously been identified in media reports as a source of precursor chemicals for rocket fuel. RADIN was the 37th Iranian flagged cargo ship to pull into Zhuhai since the start of the war.

In Europe, the container ship FLEXI 2 (IMO 9246322), reporting laden, entered Neva Bay and moored at Bronka Port, near St. Petersburg, for unknown cargo operations on September 28.

Iran-flagged cargo ship moored at Bronka Port, Russia on September 28 (Credit: Marine Traffic)