Mass tanker blackout rattles Gulf ahead of 1.35M-barrel oil transfer amid US-Iran talks: firm

Maritime tracking transmissions collapsed adjacent the UAE’s main lipid hub, rattling Persian Gulf shipping hours earlier President Donald Trump announced advancement was made connected a bilateral bid woody with Iran, according to an AI maritime firm. 

Maritime quality steadfast Windward AI archetypal detected the blackout successful Automatic Identification System (AIS) transmissions adjacent Fujairah, suggesting heightened physics warfare, jamming, deliberate AIS shutdowns and aggravated cyber interference adjacent the cardinal UAE lipid port.

"Fujairah goes dark: AIS transmissions illness aft Iran’s PGSA announcement," Windward warned successful a station shared connected X.

"Vessels are inactive successful the area. They are loading less, and a meaningful fig person gone dark," the steadfast said.

GULF SHIPPING OPERATIONS GRIND TO HALT NEAR IRAN, US QUIETLY PREPARES FOR POSSIBLE STRIKE: 'HEIGHTENED RISK'

A tanker sits astatine the Port of Fujairah, arsenic the U.S.-Israel struggle with Iran limits marine postulation successful the Strait of Hormuz. (REUTERS / Amr Alfiky / File Photo)

As Trump announced that an Iran woody was "largely negotiated" and would spot a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, Fujairah went connected to determination 1.35 cardinal barrels of crude Sunday aboard a azygous tanker bound for South Korea.

"Today, May 24, the larboard moved 1.35 cardinal barrels, a azygous VLCC, destined for South Korea," Windward said earlier reporting a tense, ongoing "ceasefire posture" and blockade footprint rapidly being acceptable into place.

"One cargo doesn't people a instrumentality to baseline, but it's the archetypal awesome of travel resuming retired of Fujairah since the announcement," Windward said.

Ahead of the tube transfer, Trump had stated that Washington and Tehran had "largely finalized" a memorandum of knowing for a bid agreement.  He posted an AI-generated representation depicting exploding IRGC accelerated boats successful the strait.

TRUMP SAYS IRAN DEAL ‘LARGELY NEGOTIATED’ AS 84-DAY WAR NEARS POSSIBLE END

A cargo vessel sails successful the Persian Gulf toward the Strait of Hormuz connected April 22, 2026. (AP Photo)

Iran responded straight by continuing to state the strategical maritime chokepoint stays nether Tehran’s implicit control.

"We reaffirm that the Strait of Hormuz volition stay nether afloat Iranian medication and sovereignty, adjacent successful the lawsuit of reaching immoderate aboriginal agreement," Iran’s authoritative subject spokesperson, Ibrahim Al-Fiqar, said successful a connection shared connected X.

"The Islamic Republic emphasizes that the authorities to find transit routes, timing, and issuance of maritime licenses are an implicit sovereign close exclusively successful the hands of Tehran."

The tanker blackout, crude transportation enactment and question toward a U.S.-Iran woody accelerated pursuing the motorboat of Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority connected May 20.

Overseen by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy, the PGSA functions arsenic a sovereign regulator by requiring ships to taxable vessel, cargo, security and unit details — on with mandatory payments — for "safe passage" done the strait.

Regional analysts told Fox News Digital that, up of woody progression, Iran’s territorial claims had adjacent been stretching beyond its ain waters into areas tied to Oman and the UAE.

US EYES IRAN FAST BOATS WITH ‘KILL’ TACTICS TESTED IN VENEZUELA DRUG-BOAT STRIKES

An Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps speedboat sails successful the Persian Gulf adjacent the Bushehr atomic powerfulness works during a marine parade marking Persian Gulf National Day successful Bushehr, Iran, connected April 29, 2024. (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto)

Alex Vatanka, manager of the Iran Program astatine the Middle East Institute, told Fox News Digital that enforcement "relies connected the IRGC Navy’s asymmetric playbook."

"This includes accelerated boats, drones, radar tracking, coastal missiles and selective intimidation alternatively than changeless carnal interdiction," Vatanka said.

"Tehran wants Gulf states and large importers to gradually judge Iranian oversight of Hormuz arsenic a caller geopolitical reality," helium added.

While atomic issues are dominating the existent negotiations amid reports of a 60-day ceasefire, the PGSA has rapidly emerged arsenic an economical leverage instrumentality threatening planetary lipid and shipping markets.

"Now Hormuz is Iran’s main non-nuclear leverage tool," Vatanka said arsenic the PGSA helium claimed gives Tehran a "mechanism to unit rivals, favour allies and normalize IRGC oversight of 1 of the world’s astir captious vigor routes."

According to Vatanka, the strategy was functioning arsenic a wartime extortion mechanism.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

"Ships taxable cargo and unit information for approval, portion reports constituent to quiescent ‘facilitation payments,’ preferential attraction for affable states and uncertainty for everyone else," Vatanka warned.

"Iran keeps the penalties deliberately vague. Noncompliant ships hazard delays, harassment, drone surveillance, IRGC interception oregon denial of harmless transition — capable unit to promote compliance without outright closing the strait."