Spike in ‘Dark’ Oil Tankers in Gulf Raises Risk of Catastrophic Spills

The risk of a catastrophic oil spill in ecologically sensitive waters around the Strait of Hormuz has hung over the region since the start of the war in Iran. Now the threats are increasing, maritime experts say, as the conflict has widened and more tankers are navigating the region’s waterways with their tracking transponders turned off to dodge military strikes and drone attacks. The advent of transponders and more advanced navigation equipment has made modern shipping safer and cut down on collisions and spills. Turning them off, or going “dark,” is a perilous activity typically reserved for vessels under sanctions or carrying illicit loads. But since March 1, there have been an alarming 1,514 dark crossings in and out of the Persian Gulf, according to Kpler, a maritime data firm. “When more ships become invisible, situational awareness declines,” said Kaveh Madani, director of the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health. “In a narrow and strategically congested waterway such as the Strait of Hormuz, reduced transparency adds another layer of environmental risk,” Mr. Madani said. Major spills threaten ecosystems. Those risks are compounding across the region: Three different oil slicks are spreading through the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, according to maritime security experts who are tracking the spills. We are having trouble retrieving the article content. Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber? Log in . Want all of The Times? Subscribe .