The 'Night Fleet' continues to transport oil through the Strait of Hormuz.

While most ships have virtually ceased transit through the Strait of Hormuz, the "shadow fleet," consisting of thousands of vessels ignoring the ban, continues to transport oil through the strait every day.

Following attacks by the US and Israel, Iran retaliated by blockading the Strait of Hormuz and attacking US military bases across the Middle East.

On March 11, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) declared that any ships belonging to the United States, Israel, or their allies transiting the Strait of Hormuz could become targets of attack.

However, in reality, thousands of oil tankers are still safely navigating this strait, known as the "night fleet".

The system of circumventing the law.

For years, these aging ships served as a lifeline for countries like Venezuela and Iran, as well as non-state organizations such as drug cartels, allowing them to evade sanctions by transporting oil stealthily around the world .

An oil tanker is under investigation by French authorities on suspicion of belonging to the "shadow fleet" off the port of Saint-Nazaire, western France, on October 2, 2025. Photo: Reuters.

These ships often fly the flags of several countries, such as the Cook Islands, or do not fly any flags at all, in order to conceal the true identity of the operating nation behind them.

Normally, each ship must fly the flag of a particular country, and that country is responsible for managing and inspecting the ship. However, in reality, registering a ship under a particular country's flag is simply a commercial transaction.

A vessel owned by a shell company in the UAE can easily be registered under the flag of Cameroon, Palau, Liberia, or any country lacking the resources or incentive to conduct genuine inspections.

When these ships attract the attention of port authorities or the coast guard, they simply re-register under a different flag. Some organizations that issue flags to ships even allow online registration. If the registration is fraudulent or the flag-issuing organization does not exist, the ship legally becomes ownerless.

According to maritime intelligence firm Windward, approximately 1,100 vessels belonging to the "shadow fleet" have been identified globally, representing 17–18% of all liquid cargo ships, primarily carrying oil.

Technological gaps in the maritime industry.

In a world where GPS systems, electronic tracking, and location-based applications have been adopted, maritime management differs from land-based management. While rules are strictly followed and enforced on land, maritime management systems are largely voluntary.

Specifically, according to the Convention for Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), signed by 167 countries, all commercial vessels must carry an Automatic Identification System (AIS) transmitter, continuously broadcasting information about their position, speed, and direction.

According to the Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), commercial vessels must carry an Automatic Identification System (AIS) transmitter, continuously broadcasting information about their position, speed, and course. Photo: Medium.

Destination signals are short notes or messages manually entered by the crew into the ship's transponder, a global positioning device, and broadcast publicly.

They typically display the ship's identification information, speed, position, and intended next port of call, and are generally intended to aid maritime safety, traffic awareness, and port planning.

However, there is no physical mechanism to prevent sailors from turning off the device or sending false signals. When a ship turns off its AIS and "disappears," no global maritime command center receives an alert because there is no dedicated center responsible for monitoring it.

For decades, maritime security systems operated not out of coercion, but because compliance with the rules was less costly for shipowners than evasion.

However, the situation reversed when international sanctions took effect. At this point, "circumventing the rules" became the only option for transporting oil.

Oil tankers are seen moving through the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz. Photo: Reuters.

According to Samir Madani, co-founder of the tracking platform TankerTrackers, since the conflict began on February 28, Iran has transported at least 11.7 million barrels of crude oil through the Strait of Hormuz, all destined for China.

This company monitors the movement of ships using satellite imagery, allowing it to detect vessels even when their AIS is turned off. According to the data, many ships have "disappeared" after Tehran threatened to attack any vessels attempting to navigate this waterway. This special treatment reflects the economic "lifeline" of Iran.

Source: https://znews.vn/ham-doi-bong-dem-van-dua-dau-qua-eo-bien-hormuz-post1634798.html