Between an Iranian announcement about the start of lifting the naval blockade, and satellite images monitoring the continued positioning of American vessels off the coast of Oman, navigation data reveal a new scene in the movement of ships linked to Iran.
During the past hours, Iranian ships sailed through the blockade zone without turning off the automatic identification signals, in a remarkable public crossing since the start of the American measures on April 13, according to navigational data analyzed by the Al Jazeera Network’s open source unit.
Read also
list of 2 itemsend of list
7 Iranian ships cross the blockade zone
Kepler platform data, which was analyzed by the Al Jazeera Network’s open source unit, revealed that 7 ships and tankers flying the Iranian flag crossed the US naval blockade zone in the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.
The data shows that 3 oil tankers from the passing ships were carrying more than 5.1 million barrels of Iranian oil, in the clearest transit so far for Iranian ships through the region since the start of the blockade.
Marine Traffic platform data also showed that the crossing included 5 oil tankers, a bulk cargo ship, and a container ship. It is noteworthy that the ships did not turn off their automatic identification devices, which kept their locations and routes visible on maritime navigation tracking platforms.
US sanctions data indicate that Washington included 6 of the seven passing ships on sanctions lists, against the backdrop of being accused of participating in transporting Iranian oil.
Transit map: from Iran to the ocean and back
The ship movement map shows that the crossing was not in one direction only, but was distributed between ships leaving Iranian ports towards the Indian Ocean, and others returning from the ocean towards the Gulf of Oman.
The oil tankers “Sonia 1”, “Deona” and “Hero 2” crossed the blockade zone coming from the Iranian port of Chabahar, carrying more than 5 million barrels of oil.
The bulk cargo ship “Ganj” and the container ship “Basht” also crossed, coming from the Iranian ports of Chabahar and Bandar Abbas, towards the Indian Ocean, without announcing a clear final destination through the available tracking data.
In the opposite direction, the “Stream” and “Herbi” oil tankers crossed the blockade zone, coming from the Indian Ocean towards the Gulf of Oman, after unloading a load of approximately 4 million barrels of oil in China, according to Kpler data.
Ownership and management records reveal that the seven ships are under the management of companies based in Iran, which strengthens their direct connection to Iranian shipping traffic at this stage.
Two routes in the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman
Navigation data reveal that the movement of Iranian ships in the region is practically divided between two main paths: the path of exit from Iranian ports towards the Indian Ocean, and the path of entry from the ocean towards the Gulf of Oman and Iranian ports.
The first path begins from ports such as Chabahar and Bandar Abbas, then passes through the Gulf of Oman towards the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean. The second path moves in reverse from the Indian Ocean towards the Gulf of Oman, before heading towards Iranian ports or approaching the Strait of Hormuz.
Automated ship identification data helps determine these routes chronologically and geographically, but it does not alone reveal the nature of operational coordination, or if what There were direct instructions from Iran or the United States to organize the crossing.
Thus, what the data prove is that the crossing took place openly and with open signals, but the issue of permission, fees, or direct understandings remains outside what can be determined from AIS data alone.
Satellite images monitor the American position
The crossing of Iranian ships coincided with satellite images analyzed by the Al Jazeera Network’s open source unit, which showed the continued positioning of 3 American ships among the military units charged with implementing maritime restrictions on Iranian ships and ports.
Pictures taken on June 15 show the US amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli and the amphibious transport ship USS New Orleans, along with the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer.
According to the geographical analysis conducted by the unit, the nearest American military unit was about 47 kilometers south of the Omani coast in the Arabian Sea.
The deployment range of the three ships also extended over a distance of approximately 74 kilometers in the waters of the Arabian Sea, from the nearest piece to the farthest area off the Omani coast.
“Tripoli” entered the area of responsibility of the US Central Command (CENTCOM) in March 2026, after moving from East Asia to the Middle East as part of US naval reinforcements that arrived in the region. The ship carries on board marine forces, aircraft and helicopters capable of carrying out landing and maritime interception operations.
How many ships crossed Hormuz today?
In parallel with the crossing of the blockade zone in the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman, the Open Sources Unit monitored, through Marine Traffic data, 5 ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz since Wednesday morning in both directions.
The data shows that 3 of the passing ships are linked to Iran, which are the cargo ships “Yakta 2”, “Lucky Ocean”, and a ship named “1”, all of which fly the Iranian flag.
The bulk cargo ship “Kikau” and the container ship “Kaya” also crossed, coming from ports in India and Oman, and heading to ports in the Emirates and Iraq.
The movement of these ships shows that the Strait of Hormuz has not witnessed a complete return to normal transit rates, but it has witnessed limited and monitored transit of Iranian and commercial ships in both directions.
The fleet is watching and does not object
This crossing coincides with an announcement by official Iranian media that the United States has begun lifting the naval blockade on Iran, following a memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran to end the war.
Iranian television said – late Monday night – that the first ships crossed the US naval blockade zone without problems, adding that an Iranian oil tanker and a ship loaded with fodder crossed the area towards Iranian ports.
Fars Agency quoted sources as saying that during the past hours, several Iranian ships were able to cross the sea blockade line without problems.
These accounts are consistent with what navigation data reveals about Iranian ships crossing with open signals, but they are not sufficient alone to prove the nature of the American decision, or if what The crossing resulted from a complete lifting of the blockade, a reduction in the level of objection, or temporary understandings related to the transitional phase after the agreement.
