By Julian Lee and Prejula Prem May 16, 2026 (Bloomberg) – A Suezmax tanker, reported to be carrying Iraqi crude oil, is on its way to India after apparently crossing the Strait of Hormuz recently. The number of ships...
By Julian Lee and Prejula Prem
May 16, 2026 (Bloomberg) – A Suezmax tanker, reported to be carrying Iraqi crude oil, is on its way to India after apparently crossing the Strait of Hormuz recently.
The number of ships passing through the strait each day has decreased, dropping to five vessels on Friday from eleven the day before. However, there was a slight increase by Saturday morning, with six ships spotted transiting the strait, according to vessel-tracking data from Bloomberg.
Traffic in and out of the Persian Gulf remains significantly lower than pre-war levels as the conflict continues into its 12th week. Despite US President Donald Trump's repeated claims that Iran would soon give in, there are no indications that Iran is easing its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has insisted on sovereignty over the strait as one of five conditions to resume peace talks.
The Suezmax tanker named Karolos appeared in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday while moving toward India, showing signs that it is fully loaded. The ship was tracked a week prior near Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, but it was heading the other way at that time.
Kpler, a ship-tracking company, identified the tanker as carrying Iraqi crude oil loaded at Basra on May 10-11. A satellite image from the European Union's Sentinel 2 confirms the ship's presence at one of the loading buoys in Basra on the morning of May 11.
In another incident, the tanker Agios Fanourios I, intercepted by the US while traveling from Iraq to Vietnam, is still in the Gulf of Oman. The very large crude carrier Kiara M, which also departed the Persian Gulf after loading at Basra, seems to have completed transferring its cargo to another ship off Oman.
On Friday, outbound transits included a bulk carrier and two vessels linked to Iran—a fuel tanker and a container ship—along with a liquefied petroleum gas carrier linked to China reported yesterday.
Saturday began busy compared to recent activity, with a products tanker, three bulk carriers, and a livestock transporter leaving the Gulf.
On Friday, US Central Command announced on X that the military has diverted 75 commercial ships since enforcing its blockade on Iran.
Tracking data showed two potential inbound commercial transits on Friday, but neither ship provided clear signals within the strait. An oil products tanker seemed to make an inbound crossing along the southern coastline of the waterway, but its following signals indicated it covered an impossible distance.
Additionally, a bulk carrier appeared on tracking screens on Saturday, heading towards the northern Persian Gulf. Its position suggests it crossed the strait on Friday.
Two more tankers connected to Iran—a products carrier and an LPG carrier—made their way into the Persian Gulf on Saturday morning. Both vessels are under US sanctions.
If the automated signals are accurate, the oil tanker appears to have successfully avoided the US blockade, having crossed the Gulf of Oman on May 9-10.
However, interference with signals on the industry’s Automatic Identification System complicates the situation, making it increasingly tough to verify ship traffic independently.
As a result, counts of transits may be adjusted upward later when ships reappear further from high-risk areas.
Even prior to the US barring movement to and from Iranian ports, it was common for vessels linked to Iran to “go dark” when nearing Hormuz. Their signals often did not return until they were well into the Strait of Malacca, approximately 13 days’ sailing from Iran’s Kharg Island.