Spoofed Tankers Are Flooding the Strait of Hormuz. These Analysts Are Tracking Them

Key Points:

• Since the outbreak of war between Iran, the US, and Israel, many ships in the Strait of Hormuz have been turning off their transponders to avoid detection, a common tactic among "shadow fleets" violating sanctions by transporting Iranian crude oil.
• Signal jamming and spoofing of ship transponders have escalated significantly, with over half the vessels in the strait affected at one point, complicating tracking efforts for maritime analysts like Michelle Wiese Bockmann.
• Analysts use a combination of technologies—including satellite imagery, electro-optical sensors, synthetic-aperture radar, radio-frequency signals, and mobile device data—to monitor tanker movements despite signal disruptions and limited satellite data availability.
• The Strait of Hormuz is a critical chokepoint, handling about 20% of global petroleum consumption, so disruptions there risk causing major economic chaos and increasing the chance of maritime accidents and oil spills.
• Firms like Windward AI and TankerTrackers.com provide vital intelligence to insurers, oil traders, and financial institutions to manage risks during the conflict, as traditional satellite data access becomes restricted and the maritime environment grows increasingly complex.