Navigation signals from more than 900 vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf went awry over the weekend, creating confusion in the shipping chokepoint as the fighting between Iran and Israel intensified.
Starboard Maritime Intelligence and Bloomberg data showed vessels sailing impossibly straight lines in the region, zig-zagging across the water, or appearing onshore. The glitches — which have affected oil tankers, cargo ships, tugs and fishing boats among others since Friday — increase reliance on radars, compasses and eyesight, boosting the likelihood of collisions.
The Joint Maritime Information Center, an international naval task force monitoring the area, warned on Sunday that there are instances of “extreme jamming” of signals from the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas. However, the JMIC said there were no indications of a potential blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which handles more than a quarter of the world’s oil trade.
“This is not a good place and not a good time to have navigation systems that can’t show exactly where you are,” said Mark Douglas, a maritime domain analyst at Starboard. “While a closing of the Strait seems unlikely, this kind of widespread jamming does cause uncertainty for anyone operating in the area.”
On Sunday, the Front Tyne, a very-large crude carrier that’s operated by Frontline Ltd., entered the Strait of Hormuz. Shortly afterward, its signal showed it sailing north toward Bandar Abbas, zig-zagging south into the gulf, hovering onshore, and finally heading toward Saudi Arabia.
The Elandra Willow, a medium-range tanker owned by Vitol Group, also displayed erratic movements — nearing Bandar Abbas on her way out of the Gulf. The Pegasus, a Suezmax operated by Pantheon Tankers Management, has been displaying locations on the Iranian mainland since Monday morning.
Frontline, Vitol and Pantheon didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Strait of Hormuz is the gateway to the Persian Gulf, where major oil-producing nations including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Iran load up tankers with crude and send them out via Hormuz to their end buyers. After Israel launched airstrikes against Iran last week, concerns that the Islamic Republic would block the chokepoint intensified.
Several tanker owners have suspended sending their ships into the Persian Gulf, according to shipbrokers. Forward freight agreements for a Middle East-to-Asia benchmark journey in July, essentially bets on the future cost of moving oil on that route, gained about 12% on Friday.
Analysts have expressed reservations on whether Iran would shut down Hormuz, given its reliance on income from oil shipments, especially to China. Blocking exports from other producers could also provoke a reaction from the US and its allies.
Disruptions are therefore a likelier option, said Anoop Singh, global head of shipping research at Oil Brokerage Ltd. Hormuz is “Iran’s ultimate bargaining chip. And such chips remain in the bag unless a worst-case scenario presents itself,” he said in a note on Sunday.
Related:
- Ship Signal Jamming in Persian Gulf Worsens as Conflict Widens
- Ships Warned to Avoid Red Sea, Log Hormuz Voyages After Israel Hits Iran
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