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Some ships leaving the Strait of Hormuz in June 2026 reportedly used a southern passage along Oman with their lights and location systems switched off, under U.S. forces’ guidance. The Associated Press account does not say that their radios were off, identify the vessels, or explain why the systems were disabled. The phrase “no lights, no radio” therefore overstates what is known: this was a reported, high-risk passage, not a documented how-to for moving oil through the strait.
What the report says about ships leaving Hormuz
In a report published on 15 June 2026, the Associated Press described two routes used by ships leaving the strait: an Iranian-run vetting lane in the north and a southern passage along the Omani coast. AP said some ships on the southern passage slipped through with lights and location systems turned off under U.S. forces’ guidance. It also reported Iranian threats against ships using the established mid-strait lanes.
The account describes a particular episode during the 2026 crisis. It does not establish that either route remains in use, or that ships are still making such passages as of October 2026. Nor does it provide ship names, precise routes or times, the nature of the U.S. guidance, or the radio configurations aboard the vessels.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchWhat “no lights, no radio” gets wrong
Lights, location systems and radios are different things. AP reported that some vessels had their lights and location systems turned off; it did not report that every radio onboard was off. “No radio” is not supported by the account.
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Location systems are also not one interchangeable device. AIS, for example, broadcasts a vessel’s identity and position, while GNSS provides satellite-based positioning data. AP did not identify the particular systems switched off, so it would be inaccurate to say the ships specifically disabled AIS, GNSS, or both. The broader point is that a vessel may be less visible through ordinary electronic location signals, but that does not make it invisible to every observer or remove navigational hazards.
How the two reported routes differed
| Reported route | What AP reported | Relationship to the established traffic scheme | What is not established |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern route | An Iranian-run vetting lane, according to AP’s 15 June 2026 report. | The IMO-adopted Traffic Separation Scheme is the established scheme intended to reduce collisions; AP’s broad route description does not map this lane against its designated lanes. | Exact track, participating ships, and vessel-by-vessel relationship to the scheme are not stated (AP, 15 June 2026). |
| Southern route | A passage along the Omani coast; AP said some vessels used it with lights and location systems off under U.S. forces’ guidance. | The account describes a passage outside the established mid-strait lanes, but does not provide enough detail to chart it against the scheme. | Exact track, guidance details, ships involved, and systems switched off are not stated (AP, 15 June 2026). |
The IMO says the Traffic Separation Scheme for the Strait of Hormuz was proposed by Iran and Oman and adopted in 1968. It designates lanes to improve safety and reduce collision risk. The AP report is not a navigational chart, and its broad descriptions do not support drawing a vessel-specific route map.
Why reduced visibility does not mean reduced danger
Tracking is only one part of the risk picture. In its 2026-011 advisory, the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) identified threats including missiles, armed unmanned aerial vehicles, armed unmanned surface vessels, boarding operations and attempts to force commercial ships into Iranian territorial waters. It also reported significant GNSS interference, spoofing and jamming. Switching off a location signal would not neutralize those threats, and interference can complicate position awareness even when a ship is not intentionally transmitting its location.
In a June 2025 notice, the Norwegian Maritime Authority raised security to MARSEC/ISPS Level 2 in Iranian territorial waters, throughout the strait and in international waters in the Gulf of Oman. It warned of a very high risk of GNSS and AIS interference and called for comprehensive risk assessment, reporting, current signal-loss procedures and crew drills. That notice is historical context, not a statement of October 2026 conditions.
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Why the passage matters to oil flows
The Strait is a major energy chokepoint: AP reported in March 2026 that about one-fifth of the world’s crude oil normally passes through it. But traffic figures from the conflict’s early weeks are dated snapshots, not current throughput. AP reported that Lloyd’s List Intelligence counted at least 89 ships crossing between 1 and 15 March 2026, including 16 oil tankers; the same source put pre-conflict traffic at roughly 100 to 135 vessel passages a day. Separately, AP reported Kpler’s estimate that more than 16 million barrels of Iranian oil had been exported since early March 2026. These counts and estimates describe different measures and periods; they should not be read as a current daily flow or as a count of the lights-off southern passages.
Who decides whether a vessel should transit
Six maritime organisations—ICS, BIMCO, INTERCARGO, INTERTANKO, IMCA and OCIMF—issued navigational guidance in May 2026 calling for voyage-specific threat and risk assessment. The guidance says the ship’s master retains overriding authority and that the final transit decision rests with the crew and master.
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On 9 June 2026, IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said: “Under such circumstances, safe passage cannot be considered to exist.” He was referring to the lack of credible security guarantees, known significant risks, and recent seafarer casualties and detentions at that time. He also said the master and company bear ultimate responsibility for voyage planning and thorough, realistic risk assessments, and that commercial or operational considerations cannot justify exposing seafarers to such danger. This was a dated judgment about conditions then prevailing, not a permanent declaration about the strait.
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What official guidance says about risk management
MARAD’s recommendations apply specifically to U.S.-flagged vessels, not to consumers or all ships everywhere. Its 2026-011 advisory advises those vessels to conduct pre-voyage risk assessment, coordinate closely with NAVCENT NCAGS, monitor VHF Channel 16, and increase reliance on traditional navigation methods such as radar ranges and visual bearings. It also recommends cross-checking ECDIS against secondary systems. These are audience-specific official recommendations, not a general recipe for making a risky transit.
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For current status, conditions and instructions, readers should consult current IMO, MARAD, UKMTO, flag-state and industry advisories. A June news account, March traffic count or 2025 security notice cannot establish what a ship should do now.
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