Shipping monitor MarineTraffic reports that Iranian-linked tankers have reappeared on AIS (automatic identification system) near the boundary of the US naval blockade.

“According to Kpler and MarineTraffic data, at least four laden tankers reappeared on AIS on 16 June after loading crude at Kharg Island earlier this year,” MarineTraffic says on X.

“The VLCCs Hero II and Diona, each carrying around 2 million barrels of crude according to Kpler, were sailing southeast at 9.5–11 knots and appear to have moved past the Gulf of Oman-Arabian Sea blockade boundary with no next destination declared.”

MarineTraffic adds that the Suezmax Sonia I has also followed a similar outbound route, while another laden VLCC, Amber, has reactivated its AIS near the eastern mouth of the Strait of Hormuz.

“The legal backdrop remains unclear, but the near-simultaneous reactivation of these vessels suggests coordinated operator decision-making rather than isolated commercial moves,” the monitor says.