UAE Tankers Navigate Strait of Hormuz Amid Iranian Blockade

The United Arab Emirates is currently operating loaded crude oil tankers through the Iranian-controlled Strait of Hormuz by keeping their transponders switched off to avoid detection [1]. This "ghost ship" strategy, which mirrors tactics previously used by Iran to evade sanctions, is being employed to move oil supplies out of the Gulf despite a de facto blockade imposed by Tehran [1].

Key takeaways

• Emirati state-owned energy giant ADNOC moved at least 6 million barrels of crude oil out of the Gulf in April using four tankers [1].
• Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz to non-Iranian traffic following U.S.-Israeli strikes in February that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei [1].
• The UAE reported that Iranian drones struck an empty ADNOC tanker, the Barakah, while it was transiting the strait [1].
• Crude oil prices have climbed past $100 a barrel following a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports in April [1].

Navigating the Strait via Ghost Ship Tactics

The UAE’s efforts to bypass the blockade involve specific logistical maneuvers to move trapped supply. For instance, the VLCC Hafeet loaded 2 million barrels of Upper Zakum crude on April 7, passed through the strait, and performed a ship-to-ship transfer to the Olympic Luck outside the region for delivery to a refinery in Malaysia [1]. Similarly, the Aliakmon I transported 2 million barrels of Das crude on April 27 before offloading into storage in Oman [1]. Three additional Suezmax tankers managed by Greece-based Dynacom Tankers Management have also participated in these runs, sailing directly to South Korean refiners [1].

These operations are occurring in a high-risk environment. The UAE recently accused Iran of using drones to target the Barakah, an empty tanker, as it moved through the waterway [1]. Despite these threats, ADNOC has signaled its intent to continue these shipments, notifying customers of planned loadings for May via ship-to-ship transfers at Fujairah and Sohar [1]. While other Gulf nations like Iraq, Kuwait, and Qatar have either halted sales or reduced their activity, the UAE remains the primary participant in these attempts to maintain oil exports through the chokepoint [1].

Why it matters

The ongoing disruption in the Strait of Hormuz highlights the fragility of the global oil supply chain, as roughly one-fifth of the world's oil and gas supply remains bottled up [1]. With ADNOC forced to cut exports by more than 1 million barrels per day from its 2025 levels, the market remains volatile [1]. Analysts suggest that this situation represents a "new normal" that is likely to persist until the conflict either de-escalates or reaches a breaking point, leaving the global oil complex operating on thin margins [1].