Iran deploys dark fleet to bypass US naval blockade via maritime evasion

Iran has mobilised its "dark fleet" of tankers to circumvent a tightening U.S. naval blockade, employing sophisticated maritime evasion tactics to maintain oil exports despite renewed sanctions. Data from maritime tracking services indicates a surge in "spoofing" and ship-to-ship transfers as Tehran attempts to bypass restricted shipping lanes. Tactics of the Dark Fleet The dark fleet, a network of older vessels with obscured ownership, uses Automatic Identification System (AIS) manipulation to project false locations. According to maritime analysts, these tankers frequently disable transponders in high-traffic zones or mimic the signals of legitimate commercial vessels to avoid detection by U.S. naval patrols. Advanced tracking data shows these ships are primarily operating in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, often conducting mid-sea transfers to vessels under different jurisdictions. U.S. naval forces have shifted to a high-alert status, deploying additional assets to monitor key chokepoints including the Strait of Hormuz. The blockade aims to reduce Iranian oil revenues to zero, a policy targeting the primary funding source for the country’s regional operations and…