Tracking ships through a war zone
Since March 2026, the Strait of Hormuz has transformed into one of the most dangerous maritime corridors in the world. Iran escalated tensions by launching strikes on commercial vessels as part of its strategic pressure in negotiations with the United States over a potential ceasefire. Despite the heightened risks, commercial shipping has not entirely stopped. Vessels still navigating through the area. The Joint Maritime Information Center, a coalition of forces led by the United States, has issued a 'severe' threat warning. Second only to a 'critical' level. Even amid these threats, traffic continues. A reported decrease in activity as shippers opt for the southern Omani route or the northern corridor controlled by Iran. Depending on the situation on the ground.
To better understand how shipping has evolved during the conflict, DW used open-source data and monitoring tools to analyze vessel traffic. Publicly available information from platforms like Global Fishing Watch has revealed that a measurable number of ships have successfully transited the strait. This is despite the risks. However, because ships can and have reportedly disabled their AIS transponders while passing through the area, the actual number of vessels may be higher than the recorded count.
Between the start of the conflict on February 28 and the ceasefire announcement on April 7, a total of at least 84 ships passed through the strait. Again following renewed attacks on July 6 and 7. This aligns with US military reports stating that approximately 70 vessels passed through the region. Though they noted that some did not transmit signals. These figures pale in comparison to the 900 ships that typically pass through the same time periods in 2025. Underscoring the impact of the war on maritime traffic.
Flags, ships and hidden owners
One of the most revealing aspects of the data is the mismatch between the flags displayed by the vessels and the actual nationalities of their owners. While ships are required to signal which flag they are flying under, this information is manually entered aboard the vessel and can be misleading. Only 11 of the 84 tracked vessels—nine Iranian and two Pakistani—were sailing under their national flags. The remaining 73 were operating with flags from other countries, many of which did not reflect the vessel owners' countries of origin.
Of the 84 vessels, 34 were moving from east to west into the Persian Gulf. And 50 were moving in the opposite direction, exiting the gulf. The United Arab Emirates was the most represented country in the dataset, with 18 vessels recorded. These included cargo ships and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tankers. The UAE’s geographical proximity to the strait and its existing Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline likely explains the high number of UAE vessels navigating the area. The pipeline runs parallel to the southern corridor.
Despite the risks, a mix of small and medium-sized operators from the region and beyond continues to transit the strait. Many UAE-based ship owners in the dataset appear to manage fleets of just one to five vessels. One particularly notable example is a UAE-registered ship that was tracked entering the Persian Gulf on July 11. This vessel was managed by Lubeck Shipping LLC, a company with ties to an Iranian oil tycoon who has been sanctioned by the US.
India and the energy choke point
India, a nation highly reliant on the Strait of Hormuz for its energy supply, saw several vessels pass through the area. Among them were two oil and LPG tankers managed by Salina Ship Management Pvt. Ltd., a firm also sanctioned by the US government. According to the data, these tankers moved through the strait during the conflict. Salina is accused of facilitating the movement of Iranian oil on behalf of sanctioned entities, further highlighting how the region’s geopolitical tensions ripple into global energy markets.
The continued flow of ships through the strait, even as both the US and Iran issue conflicting statements about whether the waterway is open, points to the strategic importance of the region. For countries like India, which depend on the strait to import a large portion of their oil, navigating the waters is a necessary risk. However, the complexity of tracking exactly who is shipping what through a conflict zone becomes clear when so many vessels fly under foreign flags.
The mismatch between vessel flags and true ownership complicates enforcement and monitoring efforts. It also raises questions about the transparency of maritime trade and the role of third-party companies in facilitating high-risk shipping operations. With sanctions and geopolitical tensions shaping the landscape, the Strait of Hormuz remains not just a choke point for oil and gas, but also a key battleground where the consequences of war are felt by global economies.
As long as the conflict persists and the war continues, the strait will remain a focal point of uncertainty and danger. Yet the data shows that even in times of war, the movement of goods does not entirely stop—only its patterns shift, and the identities behind the ships become harder to trace.