Navigation signals from more than 900 vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf went awry over the weeke
nd, 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 Fri
day — 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 Sund
ay that there are instances of “extreme jamming” of signals from the Ira
nian port of Bandar A
bas. 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,” sa
See more beautiful photo albums Here >>>
id Mark Douglas, a maritime domain analyst at Starboard. “While a closing of the Strait seems unlikely, this kind o
or 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 Hor
muz. Shortly afterward, its signal showed it sailing north toward Bandar Abbas, zig-zagging south into the gulf, hove
ring onshore, and finally heading toward Saudi Arabia.
The Front Tyne (in white) and Elandra Willow (blue) were sailing through the Strait of Hormuz when they transmitted signals showing puzzling journeys near Iran’s Bandar Abbas.
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.