Ships Begin Breaching Hormuz Strait Blockade: Here's How They're Doing It

Several massive oil tankers are taking daring actions by switching off their tracking devices to breach the Strait of Hormuz. This extreme measure is being adopted to avoid potential Iranian military attacks, which are escalating in the world’s most crucial shipping lane.

Citing Reuters, shipping data from Kpler and LSEG on Monday (11/05/2026) indicates a new trend where tankers are striving to maintain the smooth flow of Middle Eastern oil exports.

Two very large crude carriers (VLCCs), Agios Fanourios I and Kiara M, each transporting 2 million barrels of Iraqi crude oil, were reported to have passed through the strait on Sunday with their transponders disabled.

The Agios Fanourios I is known to be heading to Vietnam to unload its cargo at the Nghi Son Refinery and Petrochemical facility on 26 May. This vessel had previously failed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz in at least two attempts since loading Basrah Medium crude oil in mid-April.

Meanwhile, the Kiara M, flying the flag of San Marino, was also observed exiting the Gulf area on Sunday in the same manner. The exact destination for unloading the 2 million barrels of Basrah crude oil aboard this vessel, managed by a Shanghai-based company, remains unknown, as contact details for the owner are not publicly available.

Prior to this incident, the VLCC Basrah Energy loaded 2 million barrels of Upper Zakum crude oil from Abu Dhabi National Oil Co’s (ADNOC) Zirku terminal in early May and successfully exited the Strait of Hormuz on 6 May. The Panama-flagged vessel, operated by the shipping company Sinokor, ultimately unloaded its cargo at the Fujairah Oil Tanker Terminal on 8 May.

Recently, ADNOC and its buyers have boldly dispatched several tankers carrying crude oil through the Strait of Hormuz. This step is part of a planned effort to relocate oil supplies that had been stranded in the Gulf due to the ongoing Middle East conflict.