Supertankers Stay Dark Longer in 2 Middle East Chokepoints as Oil Transit Risks Deepen
Updated
Updated · Bloomberg · Aug 14
Supertankers Stay Dark Longer in 2 Middle East Chokepoints as Oil Transit Risks Deepen
3 articles · Updated · Bloomberg · Aug 14
Summary
Supertankers carrying non-Iranian crude are now switching off transponders for longer stretches while crossing the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb.
The tactic is meant to avoid detection as ships move oil out of the Middle East, extending a practice first adopted in the weeks after the Iran war began in late February.
Earlier in the conflict, vessels typically went dark for only a few hours during Hormuz transits; the longer blackouts show crews doubling down on wartime evasive measures.
The shift underscores how fighting has disrupted shipping behavior in two of the world's most critical oil chokepoints, complicating visibility on regional crude flows.