Most Vessels in Hormuz Operate with AIS Off, US Gets Direct Data

The Energy Department highlighted that the majority of tankers navigating the Strait of Hormuz travel with their Automatic Identification System (AIS) and transponders disabled. This practice, driven by heightened security protocols, leaves traditional commercial trackers blind to real‑time movements.

Secretary Wright explained that U.S. officials compensate for this gap by coordinating directly with ship operators and receiving daily situational reports from authorities overseeing the north and south passages. This approach allows Washington to confirm that 8‑9 million barrels of oil still traverse the strait each day, despite the lack of publicly visible tracking data.

Wright added that the ongoing U.S. security operations are diminishing Tehran’s capacity to disrupt traffic, leaving Iran with increasingly limited options to affect the flow.