Three Tankers Exit Hormuz Dark, Carrying 3.8 Million Barrels as War Chokes Traffic
Updated
Updated · Reuters · May 28
Three Tankers Exit Hormuz Dark, Carrying 3.8 Million Barrels as War Chokes Traffic
8 articles · Updated · Reuters · May 28
Three tankers — two VLCCs and one LNG carrier — left the Strait of Hormuz this week with transponders switched off, with cargoes now heading toward China and India, according to LSEG and Kpler data.
The two crude tankers alone are carrying about 3.8 million barrels: Eagle Veracruz is bound for Quanzhou in China, while Nissos Keros is due at India's Visakhapatnam on June 3; the LNG tanker Umm Al Ashtan reappeared loaded and sailing east off Oman.
The dark departures add to a small number of vessels leaving the Gulf this month, even as overall oil and LNG traffic through Hormuz remains sharply limited.
The U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, which began on Feb. 28, has severely curtailed movement through the chokepoint that normally handles about a fifth of global oil and LNG supply.
Before the war, Hormuz saw 125 to 140 daily passages; about 20,000 seafarers are still stranded on hundreds of ships in the Gulf.
What happens when a 'ghost ship' causes a massive oil spill in the Hormuz warzone?
Are soaring shipping rates and ghost tankers the new normal for the world's energy supply?
With a 'dark fleet' now supplying Asia, is U.S. control over global oil routes ending?
Strait of Hormuz in Crisis: 90% Drop in Oil Tanker Traffic and the Rise of "Dark" Transits, May 2026
Overview
In May 2026, the Strait of Hormuz became the center of a global crisis after catastrophic U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran on February 28, which killed Iran’s supreme leader and reshaped the Middle East. The conflict quickly escalated into a dangerous standoff over this vital oil chokepoint. As a result, oil tanker traffic through the Strait plummeted by over 90%, and Iran threatened to destroy any ships attempting passage. This volatile environment forced vessels to take extreme measures, such as disabling tracking systems, highlighting the severe risks and disruptions now facing global energy markets and maritime trade.