Ship-to-Ship Oil Transfers Near Hormuz Decline After Iranian Attacks

Ship-to-ship oil transfers in waters just outside the strategic Strait of Hormuz have decreased, a development linked to recent attacks on commercial vessels by Iranian forces, a Reuters report indicates.

Satellite Data Shows Slowdown

The decline in activity is evidenced by satellite imagery, which provides a clear snapshot of operations in the region.

• On July 18, imagery showed just one pair of tankers conducting a ship-to-ship (STS) transfer off the coast of Oman.
• This is a marked reduction from July 11, when three pairs of vessels were observed carrying out the same maneuver.

A Critical Workaround Under Pressure

STS transfers in the Gulf of Oman became an important logistical method for exporting crude from the Gulf following the escalation of regional conflict. The process allows tankers that have passed through the Strait of Hormuz, sometimes using special routes with clearance from Washington or Tehran, to offload their cargo to other ships waiting in open water.

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This workaround lets the receiving vessel take on the oil without having to arrange its own transit through the high-risk chokepoint or secure specific insurer approval. The recent slowdown suggests that even this alternative is now perceived as increasingly dangerous due to regional hostilities.

Heightened Maritime Risk

The decrease in transfers underscores the growing threat to energy supply chains in the Middle East. It follows a U.S. military operation in June that actively assisted in these transfers, using drones and helicopters to guide tankers and maintain the flow of Gulf energy exports.

The apparent chilling effect of recent attacks on this logistical bypass highlights the persistent vulnerability of one of the world's most critical energy corridors to geopolitical instability.