The cargo transfer in the Strait of Hormuz is recently being conducted in a novel way using feeder ships. A Barbadian tanker with an approximate capacity of 40,000 tons has met 15 times at two clusters of anchorages on both sides of the Strait of Hormuz between May 27 and August 27, 2026.
Details of Ship Activities in the Strait of Hormuz
This tanker operates in the Persian Gulf at the anchorages of Basra and Kuwait, and also reaches the anchorages of Fujairah and Shina outside of it. During this time, 15 meeting partners have been identified, the highest number among the surveyed vessels. Four cargo transfers have also been confirmed using approved cargo models.
This ship is not actually the only endpoint of these movements, but is in the middle of this process. This cargo transfer pattern can easily be described as an identifiable structure. Feeder ships and tankers deliver cargo to the feeder ship at the anchorages of Basra and Kuwait, which then transfers the cargo to other tankers waiting in Fujairah and Shina.
Confirmation of Cargo Transfers at Various Levels
Two cargo transfers at the parcel level have been confirmed. Loading in Basra between August 5 and 6 recorded a volume of approximately 34,547 units and is linked to the Vortexa scheduling of a 48,998-barrel cargo of fuel oil that was loaded on July 9 in Khor al-Zubair, Iraq, and discharged on August 14.
Discharge in Shina on July 22 has also been confirmed for a second tanker. The largest recorded meeting occurred on August 14 and 15, during which the feeder ship was alongside a 244-meter crude oil tanker with a capacity of 115,577 tons for nearly 38 hours. This tanker is managed by Libya and has been under Russian sanctions since May 30, 2026.
Considering the duration and capacity, this event is the largest recorded in the 90-day period, but at the same time, it has the least documented support. Vortexa data during this timeframe has gaps, so the cargo movement is inferred more based on scheduling and the geometry of the vessels.
The feeder ship does not seem to operate alone. A second product tanker is also active at the same anchorages, and these two vessels are connected with several common partners, including the feeder ship behind the cargo confirmed in August and at least two service vessels.
This sharing of anchorages alone does not prove much, but the sharing of partners on both sides of a route indicates a network of product aggregation. Both product tankers carry the Iranian program risk flag, and several service vessels carry the same flag. This requires caution, and in some of these cases, this specification arises from meeting with a flagged vessel rather than from independent evidence of trade related to Iran.
