Iran Shipping Update – October 29, 2026

The maritime security environment across the region remains highly volatile. Iranian attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz continue to disrupt maritime traffic, while Iran-backed Houthi threats and attacks around the Bab el-Mandeb pose a renewed risk to shipping through the Red Sea. Meanwhile, the U.S. maritime blockade on Iranian ports continues to severely constrain the regime’s oil exports.

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

Status of the Strait of Hormuz

Since the start of the Iran War, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has confirmed 121 maritime incidents involving commercial vessels have been reported across the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, and Gulf of Oman. According to the 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 October 28, JMIC has reported a total of 1,107 vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz since June 18, for a total of 1,720 since the beginning of the war.

In the past months, an increasing number of vessels have transited the southern corridor of the Strait of Hormuz bidirectionally without broadcasting AIS location data, with many of these movements facilitated by U.S. forces.

Transit corridors in the Strait of Hormuz on October 29 (Credit: ESA Copernicus)

U.S.-facilitated transits through the Strait of Hormuz averaged 30 vessels per day with 120 transits recorded during the latest 96-hour period (October 25–28). This brings the month-to-date October total to 837 transits across 28 days at 29.9 per day and raises the cumulative campaign total to 2,970 transits at an overall average of 22.7 per day across 131 monitored days.

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, only around nine small 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.  

Today, DANDELION (IMO 9379404) is likely attempting to breach the U.S. maritime blockade, laden with 490,000 barrels of Iranian LPG. DANDELION received the LPG from SEA OPERA (IMO 9000883) via ship-to-ship transfer (STS) offshore Shinas, Oman, on October 26. SEA OPERA originally loaded the Iranian LPG from Assaluyeh Port on August 26 and has since been loitering in the Gulf of Oman. DANDELION still may face U.S. enforcement actions if it attempts to exit the Gulf of Oman.

Tanker laden with Iranian LPG transiting the Gulf of Oman

(Credit: ESA Copernicus & Marine Traffic)

Iranian Oil-Laden Tankers

UANI has identified at least 53 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 October 29 (Credit: UANI)

Number of Iranian Loadings

Since the U.S. reinstated the maritime blockade on July 14, UANI has tracked at least 52 Iranian oil and petrochemical loadings, only eight of which originated from Kharg Island, Iran. 

Iran-Linked Tankers Globally

UANI has also monitored Iran-flagged tankers operating beyond the Persian Gulf, particularly in the waters near Malaysia. 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 20 tankers listed on UANI’s Ghost Armada remain 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 Malaysia on October 29 (Credit: Marine Traffic)

Iran-flagged tankers, empty after conducting STS transfers in the EOPL, 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). Between October 23 and 26, at least six of these tankers transited back towards the Galle anchorage and then returned to the anchorages further north up the Sri Lankan coastline.

On October 24, Sri Lanka coordinated the evacuation of 40 Iranian seafarers from 19 commercial vessels operating in international waters off its coast following reported medical emergencies, according to the country’s foreign ministry. The seafarers were brought ashore at Galle Harbour, where they received medical treatment before being repatriated to Iran.

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, Indian Ocean, Red Sea, Mediterranean, and Atlantic Ocean.

Iran-flagged cargo vessels across the region on October 29 (Credit: Marine Traffic)

Near the United Kingdom, the container ship ZARDIS (IMO 9349679) entered the English Channel. 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. ZARDIS is sailing to Bronka Port, Russia, near St. Petersburg, with an estimated arrival of November 3. 

Iran-flagged cargo ship in the English Channel on October 29 (Credit: Marine Traffic & ESA Copernicus)

The container ship NYRA 2 (IMO 9241487) transited the Gibraltar Strait into the Atlantic Ocean and is headed to St Petersburg, Russia, with an estimated arrival on November 8.

Iran-flagged cargo ship in the Gibraltar Strait on October 29 (Credit: Marine Traffic)

At Libya, the container ship BASHT (IMO 9346536) remained anchored off Benghazi. Its previous port visits were to Zhuhai and then Port Klang, continuing a pattern of Iranian cargo ships connecting these ports.

Iran-flagged cargo ship near Libya on October 29 (Credit: ESA Copernicus)

In Turkish waters, the general cargo ship ALVAN (IMO 9165798) remained anchored off Tenedos Island in Türkiye, near the entrance to the Turkish Straits. It will likely continue transiting the straits and head to a Russian Black Sea port.

In the Red Sea, the Iranian-flagged container ship FLEXI 2 (IMO 9246322) continued to transit south, near Yemen, approaching the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Its destination is Mumbai with an estimated arrival of November 7.

In the Gulf of Kutch, the OFAC-sanctioned container ship SHAMIN (IMO 9270658) entered port at Kandla, India, despite the risk of secondary sanctions to the commercial port operator for cargo operations. The Iran-flagged DAISY (IMO 9270684) remained at anchor, outside Kandla. Meanwhile, the Iranian-flagged VIRA 1 (IMO 9088524) continued sailing to Kandla with an estimated arrival of November 1.

Iran-flagged cargo ships near Kandla on October 29 (Credit: Marine Traffic & ESA Copernicus)

The Iranian-flagged container ship ENZO 2 (IMO 9236652) remained anchored off Mumbai, India.

Iran-flagged cargo ship near Mumbai on October 28 (Credit: ESA Copernicus)

In the Laccadive Sea, the Iranian-flagged container ship BEHTA (IMO 9349590) approached the Eight-Degree Channel between India and the Maldives,on its way to the Suez Canal, where it will likely continue onward to Libya or Russia. ARTAM (IMO 9284154) continued to anchor in the Maldives northern atoll.

Iran-flagged cargo ship in Laccadive Sea on October 29 (Credit: Marine Traffic & ESA Copernicus)

At the Malaysian EOPL, 20 Iranian-flagged cargo ships remained in or near the anchorage: 

ALOR 2 (IMO 9228538), AMINA (IMO 9305192), ANDIA (IMO 9193197), ARDAVAN (IMO 9465863), ARIES (IMO 9369722), AREZOO (IMO 9165786), ARTABAZ (IMO 9283007), ARTIN (IMO 9305221), ARZIN (IMO 9284142), BAHJAT (IMO 9405954), BARZIN (IMO 9820269), BEHDOKHT (IMO 9405978), DARYABAR (IMO 9369710), GANJ (IMO 9305219), GOLAFRUZ (IMO 9323833), KASHAN (IMO 9270696), NADIA (IMO 9122461), PARISAN (IMO 9465851), PARNIA (IMO 9167265), and RAYEN (IMO 9820245). 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.

The Iran-flagged, OFAC-sanctioned container ship SHIBA (IMO 9270646) departed the EOPL, transited the Singapore Strait westbound, and sailed to Port Klang, where it anchored next to SARUK (IMO 9719862). SARUK is scheduled to enter Port Klang on October 30 into Westports Holdings container terminal. Q-Express Line is the ship agent for SARUK. Both commercial companies face the risk of secondary OFAC sanctions for supporting an OFAC-sanctioned Iranian-flagged ship.

Iran-flagged cargo ships near Malaysia on October 29 (Credit: Marine Traffic)

At Shanghai, the container ship AYSAN (IMO 9165803) reappeared on AIS after completing cargo operations and departing port. Its new destination is Vladivostok, Russia, with estimated arrival of November 1. The container ship SHABDIS (IMO 9349588) stopped broadcasting its location on AIS and likely entered the port, while ABYAN (IMO 9349667) remained anchored at CJK anchorage. Meanwhile, TAVA 4 (IMO 9292151) continued sailing to Shanghai and is estimated to arrive at CJK on November 1.

Iran-flagged cargo ships near Shanghai on October 29 (Credit: Marine Traffic)