Misbar Tracks Ship-to-Ship Transfers in Gulf of Oman Using Satellite Imagery

Recent satellite imagery showed a concentration of tankers conducting ship-to-ship transfers in the Gulf of Oman.

An image captured by Sentinel-2 satellites on August 25 showed at least six ship-to-ship transfers off the UAE port of Fujairah, along with at least four similar operations off Oman’s Port of Shinas.

The imagery also identified at least 10 additional ship-to-ship transfers off Oman’s Port of Sohar, bringing the total number of such operations recorded in the Gulf of Oman on August 25 to 20.

Ongoing Disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz

The activity comes amid developments affecting maritime traffic and the passage of oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway connecting the Gulf with the Gulf of Oman.

U.S. President Donald Trump and U.S. Central Command have said oil tankers continue to transit the strait with U.S. assistance, despite Iran’s announcement that it had closed the waterway.

On July 28, Trump said the United States controls traffic through the strait and determines which vessels are allowed to pass, according to a statement published by the White House.

Meanwhile, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has described the situation in the region as rapidly evolving, saying about 20,000 seafarers, as well as port workers and maritime facility crews, have been affected. The organization also said a number of vessels remain stranded and unable to leave the area through the Strait of Hormuz.

The IMO previously established a voluntary framework to facilitate the evacuation of stranded vessels and seafarers, but later temporarily suspended the initiative. According to the organization, the framework helped evacuate 136 vessels and about 2,900 seafarers between June 23 and 26.

As of August 21, the IMO had recorded 68 confirmed incidents in the Strait of Hormuz and elsewhere in the Middle East, resulting in the deaths of 19 seafarers. The incidents included damage to vessels in the strait, the Gulf of Oman and waters near the UAE and Omani coasts, according to the organization’s updated incident record.

In July, the IMO Council called for de-escalation and the protection of commercial vessels, stressing that the right of transit passage through straits used for international navigation must not be denied or impeded.

Against this backdrop, the ship-to-ship transfers observed off Fujairah, Shinas and Sohar take on added significance. They provide a snapshot of tanker activity in the Gulf of Oman as shipping companies and maritime crews face growing security risks and operational constraints when planning to transit or approach the Strait of Hormuz.

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