Some vessels run ‘dark voyages’ through Hormuz: Report
A small number of vessels have managed to navigate the blockaded Strait of Hormuz by switching off their lights and tracking systems while receiving guidance from the U.S. military, according to shipowners and American officials cited by The Wall Street Journal.
Sources told the newspaper that U.S. authorities advise ships on when to operate without electronic signals and how to respond to potential threats from Iranian forces.
Some vessels used a route through a section of the Persian Gulf that was previously secured by the United States under “Project Freedom,” an initiative aimed at protecting commercial shipping. The program was later suspended following objections from Gulf states.
Among the ships to transit the strait in this manner was a Greek oil tanker carrying around 2 million barrels of crude. The vessel had been stranded in the Persian Gulf since early March before sailing along Oman’s coastline and continuing toward India.
