In light of the fear of potential Iranian attacks in the Strait of Hormuz, almost all of the ships that come to India disable their tracking system. The maritime data proves it. As per the maritime intelligence firm Kpler, around 62 percent of tankers and cargo ships that came to India from the Persian Gulf disabled their transponders while navigating through the Strait of Hormuz.
The ships normally use Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponders for transmitting their identity, position, and destination details. But at times when there is some danger in the region, ships switch off the data transmission to keep their identity concealed. This process is known as "going dark."
Ships flying the flags of countries considered hostile to Iran face greater risks in this waterway. Data shows that such vessels are increasingly using the Omani shipping lane. This lane is supported by the US and Oman, but Iran does not recognize it. In contrast, ships using Iran's Traffic Separation Lane generally keep their transponders on, although some do turn them off despite Iranian surveillance.
According to Kpler, a total of 73 ships bound for India passed through the Strait of Hormuz between May 1 and June 25, of which 45 did so without sending location data. Only four Indian-flagged ships traveled this route during this period, and two of them concealed their identity and route information. The remaining two traveled through both the Iranian and Omani lanes while broadcasting their information.
In a large dataset, at least 69 ships bound for India were observed turning off their transponders in Hormuz. Of these, 14 used the Oman-bound route, while 10 passed through Iranian-controlled routes, suggesting a "dark transit" on both routes.
Since tensions escalated in late February, shipping conditions in the Strait of Hormuz have become increasingly uncertain. Iran frequently changes passage rules. In some cases, ships have been targeted even after receiving passage.
In mid-April, the Indian-flagged VLCC Sanmar Herald was attacked near Larak Island, where Iranian forces control maritime traffic. An audio clip later surfaced, in which the ship's captain was heard saying that the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy had given them permission to proceed before the incident.
In light of the fear of potential Iranian attacks in the Strait of Hormuz, almost all of the ships that come to India disable their tracking system. The maritime data proves it. As per the maritime intelligence firm Kpler, around 62 percent of tankers and cargo ships that came to India from the Persian Gulf disabled their transponders while navigating through the Strait of Hormuz.
The ships normally use Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponders for transmitting their identity, position, and destination details. But at times when there is some danger in the region, ships switch off the data transmission to keep their identity concealed. This process is known as "going dark."
Ships flying the flags of countries considered hostile to Iran face greater risks in this waterway. Data shows that such vessels are increasingly using the Omani shipping lane. This lane is supported by the US and Oman, but Iran does not recognize it. In contrast, ships using Iran's Traffic Separation Lane generally keep their transponders on, although some do turn them off despite Iranian surveillance.
According to Kpler, a total of 73 ships bound for India passed through the Strait of Hormuz between May 1 and June 25, of which 45 did so without sending location data. Only four Indian-flagged ships traveled this route during this period, and two of them concealed their identity and route information. The remaining two traveled through both the Iranian and Omani lanes while broadcasting their information.
In a large dataset, at least 69 ships bound for India were observed turning off their transponders in Hormuz. Of these, 14 used the Oman-bound route, while 10 passed through Iranian-controlled routes, suggesting a "dark transit" on both routes.
Since tensions escalated in late February, shipping conditions in the Strait of Hormuz have become increasingly uncertain. Iran frequently changes passage rules. In some cases, ships have been targeted even after receiving passage.
In mid-April, the Indian-flagged VLCC Sanmar Herald was attacked near Larak Island, where Iranian forces control maritime traffic. An audio clip later surfaced, in which the ship's captain was heard saying that the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy had given them permission to proceed before the incident.