Three large crude oil tankers crossed the Strait of Hormuz with their location trackers turned off to avoid potential Iranian attacks, according to data from Kepler and LSEG cited by Reuters on Monday. The vessels, named Agios Fanourios One, Kiara M, and Basra Energy, each carried about two million barrels of crude oil. Agios Fanourios One, loaded in Iraq’s Basra on April 17, is heading toward Vietnam after two failed attempts to cross earlier. Kiara M, flying the San Marino flag and operated by a Shanghai-based company, has not yet confirmed its unloading destination. The Panama-flagged Basra Energy departed Abu Dhabi’s ADNOC Zirku terminal on May 1 and discharged its cargo at Fujairah port in the UAE last Friday.

The report notes that ongoing conflict and instability in the Middle East have severely disrupted navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. Amid heightened tensions between Iran, Israel, and the United States, oil exporters and shipowners are increasingly operating “in the dark” by disabling tracking systems to reduce the risk of targeted attacks.