A captain described operational changes to oil and LNG shipments through the Strait of Hormuz amid Iranian threats: night-only runs, strict equipment limits (no lights or mobile phones, typically only one radar), navigation by the Oman coast and lighthouses, and AIS cutters switched off at departure. Crews — largely from the Philippines and India — are being paid premiums, with some contracts shortened but paying several times normal wages and some owners offering an extra six months’ pay; decks

2026-10-08

A captain described operational changes to oil and LNG shipments through the Strait of Hormuz amid Iranian threats: night-only runs, strict equipment limits (no lights or mobile phones, typically only one radar), navigation by the Oman coast and lighthouses, and AIS cutters switched off at departure. Crews — largely from the Philippines and India — are being paid premiums, with some contracts shortened but paying several times normal wages and some owners offering an extra six months’ pay; decks are being reinforced with sandbags to guard against drones or missiles. Shipping executives say the chance of being attacked while transiting under US military surveillance is about 1 in 20; Iran has compiled a blacklist of tankers involved in the trade.