April 30, 2026
Three Weeks Into the Ceasefire: A Maritime Intelligence Breakdown
A guide on deceptive shipping practices
What’s inside?
Deceptive shipping practices are tactics employed by bad actors to avoid detection and possible sanctions. But why are maritime stakeholders under the spotlight? The reason that regulators continuously shift increasing responsibility on due diligence towards the maritime ecosystem is because shipping plays a significant role in the global supply chain. This fact hasn’t been overlooked by regulators, as they. The recent advisory from U.S. authorities has, for the first time, detailed the responsibilities and expectations that private businesses connected to the maritime sector must adhere to.
OFAC numbered seven deceptive shipping practices that should be part of an effective compliance process. But simply knowing about them is not enough. How do you identify deceptive shipping practices with traditional matching tools? Well, you can’t. Bad actors today have become experts of their craft and the only way to keep up is with dynamic, AI-powered tools.
As trade sanctions increase, knowing which vessels you can safely do business with is of growing importance across the wider business environment. Today, it is not enough to “Know Your Customer” (KYC); you need to “Know Your Vessel” (KYV). And only strong tools are capable of identifying real-time risk factors at the vessel level.
We recently published a guide on exactly what executives need to know when it comes to deceptive shipping practices. Below are some key takeaways:
- New decade, new standards – recent advisories published by U.S. and U.K authorities have raised the bar for players across the supply chain
- Goodbye matching tools – Identifying deceptive shipping practices is drastically different from traditional sanctions list screening.
- By analyzing vessel behaviors, organizations can proactively identify counterparties that may expose them to sanctions risk.
A sophisticated regulatory environment calls for a sophisticated solution. So what should you do? Onboard more tools and train more staff? The resulting costs and resources, without necessarily more accuracy, can outweigh the benefits. To help our partners manage at risk at scale, Windward automatically vets risk, while accounting for hundreds of risk factors in real-time.
Get the guide to learn more.
Featured posts
Three Weeks Into the Ceasefire: A Maritime Intelligence Breakdown
At a Glance The Third Week of the Ceasefire at Sea Three weeks into the ceasefire, the maritime system is showing signs of movement, but not normalization. Transit through the Strait of Hormuz increased during the week, with 20 crossings recorded on April 29, the highest count in the reporting period. Corridor use also broadened,…
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April 30, 2026: Iran War Maritime Intelligence Daily
At a Glance Operational Overview Maritime activity across the Strait of Hormuz increased on April 29, with higher transit volumes and broader corridor usage, while deceptive shipping practices continued to expand across the Gulf. Transit flows rose to their highest level in recent days, with a notable return to the Southern Corridor alongside sustained outbound…
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April 29, 2026: Iran War Maritime Intelligence Daily
At a Glance Operational Overview Maritime activity across the Strait of Hormuz remains stable in volume but increasingly uneven in behavior, with full AIS visibility during transit contrasted by a sharp rise in deceptive activity across the broader Gulf. On April 28, transit volumes held steady, with all crossings conducted while transmitting AIS. At the…
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April 28, 2026: Iran War Maritime Intelligence Daily
At a Glance Operational Overview Maritime activity across the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding corridors remains constrained but operational, with moderate transit levels and continued reductions in both vessel count and dark activity. On April 27, transit volumes held at a moderate level following prior fluctuations, while Gulf-wide vessel presence declined, indicating a partial contraction…
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April 27, 2026: Iran War Maritime Intelligence Daily
At a Glance Operational Overview Maritime activity across the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding corridors remains active but uneven, with transit volumes fluctuating under continued enforcement pressure and operational uncertainty. Following the April 25 rebound, transit activity slowed again on April 26, despite maintaining full AIS visibility across all crossings. At the same time, Gulf-wide…
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April 26, 2026: Iran War Maritime Intelligence Daily
At a Glance Operational Overview Maritime activity across the Strait of Hormuz and adjacent corridors is showing early signs of recovery, but under sustained enforcement pressure and continued sanctions-driven disruption. Transit volumes rebounded on April 25 following several days of suppressed movement, with all crossings conducted under full AIS visibility. At the same time, U.S….
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