LiveLive Updates August 26, 2026Share to FacebookShare to XArticle printing is available to subscribers onlyPrint in a simple, ad-free formatSubscribeComments: Zen reading is available to subscribers onlyAd-free and in a comfortable reading formatSubscribeAugust 26, 2026UpdatesOil companies plan to avoid Iran-blacklisted ships amid threats, sources sayAt least three Indian oil refiners and a major global energy company plan to stop using vessels on Iran's new blacklist, including for ship-to-ship transfers, over security concerns, four sources familiar with the matter said.Iran on Sunday blacklisted 45 ships it said had violated its rules for crossing the Strait of Hormuz and threatened action against vessels conducting transfers with them, escalating pressure over the key waterway.Vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, Monday. Credit: Stringer/REUTERSVessels near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, Monday. Credit: Stringer/REUTERSThe move could disrupt "shuttle runs" used by Gulf producers including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to move oil through Hormuz before transferring it onto other ships in the Gulf of Oman. The transfers have helped maintain Middle Eastern oil flows curtailed by Iran's restrictions on shipping through the strait.Iran has threatened to fine or detain the blacklisted vessels and confiscate their cargoes, according to a post by the Persian Gulf Strait Authority, a new Iranian body overseeing the waterway.Several charterers and shipping companies are also reviewing whether to continue ship-to-ship operations, while one Gulf crude buyer said it may be safer to purchase oil on a delivered basis rather than at ship-to-ship transfer points in the Gulf of Oman.Five commercial ships pass through Strait of Hormuz, down sharply from recent averageOnly five commercial vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, according to preliminary shipping data obtained by Reuters, down sharply from the 10-day average of 15 vessels and little changed from Monday, when four vessels made the crossing.Two tankers carrying liquefied petroleum gas and a tanker carrying bitumen exited the Gulf through the strait, while two empty product tankers entered from the Gulf of Oman, according to shipping tracker Kpler. The figures may change because some vessels typically switch off their location transponders while sailing.Hormuz traffic masks rising risk