Iran Sneaks Its Tankers Through Hormuz as Trump Escalates Threats

Bloomberg

Tuesday, July 14, 2026 11:33 | 2 minutes read

Iran has been sneaking oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz in recent days, even before the United States announced its intention to reimpose a blockade on Iranian ports as the conflict escalates.

Six U.S.-sanctioned supertankers, capable of carrying a total of 12 million barrels of crude, crossed the strait into the Gulf of Oman last week after turning off their transponders, according to ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg. These moves, along with voyages by other Iran-linked vessels, came after Washington on July 7 revoked the temporary waiver that allowed Iran to sell its oil.

Since then, conditions in the Strait of Hormuz have worsened, with the White House planning to reimpose the blockade from 4 p.m. Tuesday Washington time, while U.S. President Donald Trump demanded a 20% share of the value of shipments crossing the waterway with U.S. support, without disclosing further details.

Ship-tracking data showed that observed navigation in the Strait of Hormuz almost completely halted early Tuesday. A bulk carrier was heading to Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates after entering the Arabian Gulf, while two LPG tankers approached the strait in the opposite direction to prepare to leave the Gulf.

Tue, 14 2026

It is likely that other non-Iranian ships are crossing the Strait of Hormuz after turning off their transponders, as the number of so-called dark transits has exceeded visible voyages in recent days. However, attacks by Iran and the United States on ships make these voyages increasingly risky.

Since July 7, many Iran-linked and U.S.-sanctioned vessels have left the Strait of Hormuz, including oil tankers, LPG tankers, container ships, and the six Iranian supertankers. These movements are part of flows totaling 57 million barrels of crude that Iran successfully shipped between the two U.S. naval blockades.

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