Project Freedom Begins, but the Dark Fleet Doesn’t Pause

At a Glance

• Project Freedom begins as the U.S. moves to guide “neutral and innocent” vessels through Hormuz.
• Sanctioned vessels continue transiting, including NOOH GAS.
• Kharg Island remains active, with VIGOR identified loading and later departing under dark conditions.
• SAR imagery from May 2 detected 62 vessels above 100 meters near Hormuz, including 49 operating dark (AIS disabled).
• Iranian crude routing shifts toward the Lombok Strait, bypassing the more visible Malacca route.
• LPG carriers continue deceptive patterns, with prolonged dark periods and falsified AIS activity.
• OFAC warns that payments to Iran for safe passage could trigger sanctions exposure.

Operational Overview 

Maritime activity around the Strait of Hormuz is entering a new phase as U.S. Project Freedom begins alongside the continuing blockade of Iranian ports.

The operation is designed to guide “neutral and innocent” commercial vessels through the Strait, with U.S. naval forces providing deterrence, route guidance, and mine-avoidance support rather than direct escort. It runs in parallel with the continued interdiction of vessels linked to Iranian trade.

On May 4, a sanctioned LPG tanker operating under dual identity indicators transited eastbound through Hormuz, but its profile makes U.S. protection highly unlikely. At the same time, Kharg Island continues to support dark loading cycles, while Larak-area imagery shows persistent product tanker staging and ship-to-ship activity.

Beyond Hormuz, Iranian cargo routing is adapting. Two Iran-flagged VLCCs have now used Indonesia’s Lombok Strait, suggesting a shift away from the more visible Malacca route under intensified scrutiny.

The operating environment is defined by guided transit for eligible vessels, continued enforcement against Iran-linked networks, and sustained dark fleet adaptation across multiple corridors.

Project Freedom Begins Under Parallel Enforcement

Project Freedom began on May 4, with U.S. forces positioned to support commercial transit through Hormuz.

The operation is described as support for “neutral and innocent” vessels, with U.S. naval assets remaining in the vicinity of transiting traffic rather than physically escorting each vessel, providing guidance, deterrence, and mine-avoidance monitoring. 

At the same time, the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports remains active. Vessels linked to Iranian trade, sanctions evasion, or material support for Iran remain exposed to interdiction rather than protection.

Iran has directly challenged the operation, warning that any foreign military presence entering or approaching the Strait would be treated as a hostile act and that passage must be coordinated with Tehran. Official statements emphasized that foreign forces, particularly the U.S. military, could face direct attack if operating in the area.

At the same time, regulatory pressure is intensifying. The U.S. Treasury has warned that shipping companies could face sanctions if they pay Iran for safe passage through the Strait, including indirect payments such as digital assets, offsets, or charitable transfers. Non-U.S. entities may also face exposure if such payments trigger violations through insurers or financial institutions. 

The result is a fragmented and high-friction operating environment. Vessels navigating the Strait must now balance physical security risks, regulatory exposure, and financial compliance simultaneously, with no single authority fully controlling the domain.

Sanctioned LPG Tanker Transits Hormuz Using Dual Identity 

A sanctioned LPG tanker, NOOH GAS (IMO 9034690), is transiting eastbound through the Strait of Hormuz on May 4, highlighting how high-risk vessels continue to operate within the system despite tightening enforcement conditions.

The vessel is currently broadcasting a Botswana flag, while simultaneously maintaining a second identity, LUMA, which has remained dark since mid-April. This dual-identity setup is a well-established concealment tactic, allowing a single vessel to present different operational profiles depending on visibility.

Carrying approximately 129.9 thousand barrels of LPG and butane, the tanker exited the Gulf after several days of loitering off the UAE coast. Its movement follows a familiar pattern: extended periods without AIS transmission, identity changes during blackout windows, and offshore positioning near known transshipment zones.

The vessel is U.S.-sanctioned under Executive Order 13902 and appears on the OFAC Syria and Dark Fleet Vessels of Interest lists. It has maintained a high-risk profile since mid-2025, with repeated indicators of illicit activity. Over time, it has operated under at least 18 different names and multiple MMSI identities, with confirmed identity manipulation events and 13 recorded periods of dark activity linked to Iran sanctions behavior.

Its most recent blackout lasted 47 days, during which ownership shifted, and the current NOOH GAS identity emerged. Meanwhile, the alternate LUMA identity has remained inactive, reinforcing the use of parallel identities to obscure tracking.

Operationally, the vessel has repeatedly engaged in offshore ship-to-ship transfers in areas such as Bangladesh and UAE waters, consistent with dark fleet patterns used to move cargo outside traditional port oversight. These behaviors align with known sanctions evasion methods used to sustain Iranian energy flows.

Its transit also comes as the U.S. launches Project Freedom, aimed at supporting “neutral and innocent” commercial shipping through the Strait. Vessels like this fall outside that definition.

Instead of following standard traffic separation lanes, the tanker routed south of Larak Island, a pattern more consistent with risk avoidance than compliance. Taken together, the vessel is unlikely to benefit from U.S. protection and is more likely to operate independently within a parallel, high-risk network.

Kharg Loading Continues Under Sustained Dark Operations

EO imagery from April 30 through May 4 shows that Kharg Island is operating under a near-total dark posture, with no AIS-correlated traffic observed across five consecutive collections. 

On April 30, five tankers were detected operating without AIS around the island. Two were actively loading at the eastern T-jetty, including a Panamax-class crude tanker (~180 meters, ~500,000 barrels capacity) and a 333-meter VLCC identified with very high confidence as VIGOR (IMO 9262156), with an estimated 2 million barrels capacity. Together, these vessels represented approximately 2.5 million barrels of immediate loading potential.

Three additional tankers were idling northeast of the island, likely awaiting berth availability. These included one vessel measuring 220–230 meters, another around 180 meters, and a third that could not be reliably identified.

VIGOR’s presence reflects a known dark fleet export pattern. The vessel departed Riau on April 12, went dark near Fujairah on April 26, and completed a four-day covert transit to Kharg for loading. It is OFAC-designated under EO 13846 and previously operated on a Kharg-to-Asia shuttle involving offshore ship-to-ship transfers.

A multi-day view confirms this is part of a sustained system rather than isolated activity. On May 1, a wider collection identified 23 vessels operating dark, including 12 VLCC-class hulls concentrated in the eastern waiting area, the highest density observed during the reporting window, and clear evidence of a queued export pipeline.

On May 2, coverage narrowed back to Kharg Island itself, showing six dark vessels, including three Aframax and three Panamax, and no VLCC presence at berth.

By May 3, a wider pass identified 20 dark tankers, including 6 VLCCs and 2 Suezmax vessels, confirming that the offshore queue remained largely intact. Across all days, no AIS transmissions were observed, indicating a fully concealed operating environment.

Loading throughput continues despite these constraints. A Panamax tanker has remained alongside the south-side berth for over 72 hours, indicating a near-complete ~500,000-barrel load and imminent departure. In contrast, a 240-meter Aframax observed on May 2 spent just over 13 hours at berth, suggesting a partial load followed by likely ship-to-ship top-off elsewhere.

VIGOR departed Kharg between May 1 and May 2 with an estimated 2 million barrels and has not yet been detected in Hormuz collections, marking it as a potential blockade-breaker.

As of May 4, a new VLCC has taken VIGOR’s position at the eastern T-jetty, indicating that the loading cycle is continuing without interruption.

Taken together, Kharg is operating in a constrained but continuous mode, as loading persists, large crude carriers are staged offshore in a rolling queue, and the entire system functions under sustained concealment.

Hormuz and Larak Imagery Shows Persistent Dark Staging

Windward’s Multi-Source Intelligence analysis of April 30 SAR imagery detected 57 vessels between Hormuz, Qeshm, and Larak.

Thirteen were AIS-correlated vessels with confirmed identity, including five general cargo vessels, five bulk carriers, and three container vessels. Twelve were Iran-flagged, and one was Hong Kong-flagged. 

The remaining 44 vessels were unmatched and treated as dark. These included 30 general cargo vessels, six Aframax tankers, three VLCCs, two Suezmax tankers, two bulk carriers, and one container vessel. This distribution reflects a mixed staging environment, with mid-size product tankers dominating while larger crude carriers remain positioned for opportunistic movement.

Bushehr Shows Fully Dark Activity

EO imagery over Bushehr on May 1 detected five vessels within the port and approach area. None were transmitting AIS.

The scene included four cargo-class vessels and one tanker. Assessed subclasses included three general cargo vessels, one oil products tanker, and one multipurpose vessel.

This indicates that Bushehr activity remained fully dark during the collection window, reinforcing that concealment is not limited to crude export hubs but extends across broader Iranian maritime operations.

Iranian Cargo Shifts Toward Lombok

Two Iran-flagged VLCCs have now taken the long route to Asia via Indonesia’s Lombok Strait, avoiding the more visible Strait of Malacca.

HUGE (IMO 9357183) appeared on May 3, broadcasting AIS for the first time since March 20 and signaling that it was laden. It switched off AIS again within 24 hours.

DERYA (IMO 9569700) arrived in the same area on May 4 after a port call at Sikka from April 15–19. It is not clear whether the vessel is laden.

These are the first Iranian tankers tracked arriving in Asia since April 24 and the first two to use Lombok since the war began. Iran previously used the Sunda Strait for three VLCCs and one Suezmax between March 5 and April 18.

The shift suggests that Iranian cargoes are adapting to scrutiny around Malacca, where AIS transmission creates visibility during transit. Routing via Lombok introduces a longer path, increases operational ambiguity, and may support alternative dark anchorage or transfer patterns.

Both vessels could be heading toward the Riau Archipelago, where Iranian tankers have long used ship-to-ship transfers and floating storage, or toward alternative transfer areas or direct onward movement to China.

U.S. Central Command reports that more than 49 ships have been redirected since the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports began on April 13. The blockade has contributed to a sharp drop in Iranian crude tankers reaching Malacca, the normal route for Asia-bound cargoes.

Tanker Reflects Iran-Linked LPG Deception Pattern

The falsely flagged LPG carrier, not yet sanctioned but a long-time member of Windward’s dark fleet, was tracked sailing through the Strait of Malacca on April 29 and is now sailing past Singapore.

The tanker was dark for 44 days between March 6 and April 20, before reappearing in the mid-Arabian Sea. Its AIS signals during that period falsely indicated a load at Khor Fakkan. 

This reflects a common Iran-linked LPG carrier tactic, where AIS narratives are used to suggest compliant loading while actual movements remain concealed.

Outlook

Project Freedom introduces a new operational layer in Hormuz, but not a blanket reduction in risk. Vessels assessed as neutral and innocent may benefit from route guidance and deterrence, while sanctioned or Iran-linked vessels remain exposed to interdiction.

Kharg Island continues to show sustained dark loading and tanker queuing, with VIGOR departing under a profile consistent with the Iran-to-China shadow fleet pattern. At the same time, Larak and Hormuz imagery show persistent product tanker staging and ship-to-ship activity, confirming that dark operations remain embedded in the system.

The shift toward Lombok indicates that Iranian cargo routing is adapting to visibility pressure at Malacca, while LPG carriers continue to demonstrate deceptive shipping practices, including dual identities and prolonged dark activity.

The operating environment is defined by simultaneous guidance, enforcement, evasion, and route adaptation. Movement is continuing, but the distinction between protected transit and sanctionable activity is becoming increasingly defined.