Ships, Oil Tankers Secretly Sailing Through Hormuz Under US Coordination As Gulf Trade Faces Threat

Key Takeaways

• Ships, Oil Tankers Secretly Sailing Through Hormuz Under US Coordination As Gulf Trade Faces Threat Published By, Last Updated: June 01, 2026, 07:32 IST With insurers hiking premiums and tensions rising, a handful of oil tankers are reportedly secretly crossing Hormuz in “dark mode” under US military coordination.
• A drone view shows vessels anchored at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam (Photo: Reuters) Commercial ships are quietly finding ways to sail through the Strait of Hormuz despite mounting tensions and threats in the crucial waterway, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.
• Some vessels are reportedly switching off lights and navigation systems while coordinating with the US military in an effort to avoid Iranian attacks and safely cross the strait.
• The report said that a small number of ships, including massive oil and liquefied natural gas tankers, have managed to pass through the dangerous route in recent weeks, creating what it described as a “tiny relief valve for the global economy." According to the report, some ships are sailing in what the maritime industry calls “dark mode." This involves turning off Automatic Identification Systems (AIS), the electronic tracking beacons that ships normally use to broadcast their position and prevent collisions at sea.
• The report mentioned that turning off AIS makes ships harder to detect electronically and potentially less vulnerable to Iranian targeting.