Ships in and around the Strait of Hormuz right now
How many ships are stuck in the Strait of Hormuz? Right now 799 commercial ships are visible on AIS in and around the strait, and 686 of them are stationary. 501 are waiting on the Gulf of Oman side of the strait and 181 on the Persian Gulf side.
How many ships are waiting near the Strait of Hormuz
Live map →Commercial ships are cargo ships and tankers of 80 m or more. A ship counts as waiting when it is below 1 knot and has reported a position in the last six hours. Not every stationary ship is stranded: some are loading, discharging or refuelling. Counts are AIS-visible only, so ships with their transponders off are missed.
How long ships have been waiting
Gulf ports →We start a clock when a commercial ship stops (below 1 knot) and reset it when the ship gets under way or shifts more than 3 km. Tracking began on 30 September 2026, so a wait that started before then is shown as "at least".
By anchorage
| Area | Waiting | Median wait |
|---|---|---|
| Elsewhere in the region | 276 | 18 h |
| Fujairah anchorage | 187 | 14 h |
| Sohar | 62 | 2.2 days |
| Khor Fakkan | 44 | 14 h |
| Sharjah / Ajman | 31 | 18 h |
| Bandar Abbas | 26 | 8 h |
| Dubai / Jebel Ali | 18 | 18 h |
| Abu Dhabi | 14 | 18 h |
| Larak / Qeshm anchorage (Iran) | 10 | 24 h |
| Gulf of Oman (offshore) | 9 | 14 h |
| Ras al Khaimah | 9 | 18 h |
How long they have waited
686 stationary commercial ships, 40.1m t deadweight in all. Deadweight is the most a ship can carry, not the cargo on board.
The longest waits right now
| Ship | Area | Waiting |
|---|---|---|
| LAI ZHOU 66189 m | Elsewhere in the regionGulf of Oman side | at least 7.2 days |
| GALAXY GASSmall · 106 m | Elsewhere in the regionGulf of Oman side | at least 7.2 days |
| ROMINASuezmax · 269 m | Larak / Qeshm anchorage (Iran)Persian Gulf side | at least 7.2 days |
| ELENA 1Small · 118 m | Elsewhere in the regionGulf of Oman side | at least 7.2 days |
| HAFEET253 m | Abu DhabiPersian Gulf side | at least 7.2 days |
| GAS AURORASmall · 105 m | Elsewhere in the regionGulf of Oman side | at least 7.2 days |
| NDL SIX100 m | Bandar AbbasPersian Gulf side | at least 7.2 days |
| BILIMR · 183 m | Elsewhere in the regionGulf of Oman side | at least 7.2 days |
| ELITEMR · 182 m | Elsewhere in the regionGulf of Oman side | at least 7.2 days |
| GM 2Small · 84 m | Elsewhere in the regionGulf of Oman side | at least 7.2 days |
| GAS VIGORMR · 169 m | Elsewhere in the regionGulf of Oman side | at least 7.2 days |
| ERTEA189 m | SoharGulf of Oman side | at least 7.2 days |
| WOLFMR · 183 m | Elsewhere in the regionGulf of Oman side | at least 7.2 days |
| AVA 10Aframax/LR2 · 230 m | Elsewhere in the regionGulf of Oman side | at least 7.2 days |
| GAS CONCORDMR · 180 m | SoharGulf of Oman side | at least 7.2 days |
| GARDENIA225 m | SoharGulf of Oman side | at least 7.2 days |
| BLUE STAR IIPanamax/LR1 · 228 m | Elsewhere in the regionGulf of Oman side | at least 7.2 days |
| ANJI 23169 m | Fujairah anchorageGulf of Oman side | at least 7.2 days |
| BARAKAH GASSmall · 112 m | Elsewhere in the regionGulf of Oman side | at least 7.2 days |
| STI STEADFASTAframax/LR2 · 249 m | Elsewhere in the regionGulf of Oman side | at least 7.2 days |
| HAI NAM 82189 m | SoharGulf of Oman side | at least 7.2 days |
| JASMINE 8224 m | Khor FakkanGulf of Oman side | at least 7.2 days |
| DRAGON11MR · 171 m | Elsewhere in the regionGulf of Oman side | at least 7.2 days |
| JULIETSmall · 121 m | Elsewhere in the regionGulf of Oman side | at least 7.2 days |
| NEW GATEMR · 176 m | Elsewhere in the regionGulf of Oman side | at least 7.2 days |
The 25 longest waits among commercial ships stationary now. A ship that stops reporting for more than an hour drops out of these figures; after 24 hours without a report, its clock starts again.
Where ships are waiting
Map of the strait →Commercial ships on AIS in and around the Strait of Hormuz now. Select the map to open the live map.
Source: live AIS positions. The map shows the strait and its nearest anchorages; the table below also covers Sohar and Abu Dhabi.
Not every ship here is stuck. Fujairah is a major bunkering (refuelling) hub for Gulf tankers, so some ships anchored there are refuelling rather than waiting to cross (Baird Maritime, 22 Jul 2025). Others are loading or discharging at nearby ports.
The area we track stops short of the upper Gulf. Ports such as Ras Tanura, Mina al Ahmadi, Ras Laffan and Kharg Island are outside it, so the number of ships stuck in the Persian Gulf as a whole is higher than these counts.
"Waiting" counts commercial ships below 1 knot with a position in the last six hours; "Moving" counts those at 1 knot or more. "All vessels" also includes tugs, service boats and other small craft.
| Area | Waiting | Moving |
|---|---|---|
| Fujairah anchorageFujairah is also a major bunkering (refuelling) hub, so some ships here are refuelling rather than waiting. | 185 | 17 |
| Khor Fakkan | 44 | 5 |
| Sohar | 59 | 5 |
| Gulf of Oman (offshore) | 9 | 1 |
| Larak / Qeshm anchorage (Iran)Iranian-designated holding area ("LARAK OPL" in AIS destinations) used under the 2026 permit regime. | 10 | 4 |
| Bandar Abbas | 26 | 1 |
| Ras al Khaimah | 9 | 1 |
| Sharjah / Ajman | 30 | 2 |
| Dubai / Jebel Ali | 19 | 3 |
| Abu Dhabi | 14 | 1 |
Daily peak of ships waiting in each area, last 30 days (oldest first)
| Area | Daily peak waiting |
|---|---|
| Fujairah anchorage | -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, 187, 199, 198, 193, 202, 211, 209, 196, 191 |
| Khor Fakkan | -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, 45, 48, 43, 47, 44, 41, 38, 46, 46 |
| Sohar | -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, 61, 66, 68, 63, 63, 61, 63, 62, 62 |
| Gulf of Oman (offshore) | -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, 13, 15, 13, 13, 14, 14, 10, 11, 10 |
| Larak / Qeshm anchorage (Iran) | -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, 9, 10, 9, 9, 9, 8, 9, 10, 11 |
| Bandar Abbas | -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, 31, 31, 27, 27, 29, 28, 29, 28, 28 |
| Ras al Khaimah | -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, 11, 11, 13, 14, 11, 10, 11, 10, 9 |
| Sharjah / Ajman | -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, 29, 32, 31, 31, 30, 31, 36, 34, 31 |
| Dubai / Jebel Ali | -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 19, 14, 18, 20 |
| Abu Dhabi | -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, 13, 13, 13, 14, 16, 14, 17, 17, 15 |
Where they say they're going
Gulf ports →Each ship's AIS transponder carries a destination that the crew types in by hand. It is free text, so the same port can appear as "AEFJR", "FUJAIRAH" or "FUJ OPL", and it can be out of date, wrong, or a message. We decode it into a port or country where we can. Declared destinations of the commercial ships in the region now:
Most common declared destinations
| Declared destination | Ships | Share of ships in the region | |
|---|---|---|---|
| FujairahUnited Arab Emirates | 165 | 21% | |
| Khor FakkanUnited Arab Emirates | 128 | 16% | |
| SoharOman | 95 | 12% | |
| ShinasOman | 90 | 11% | |
| SharjahUnited Arab Emirates | 32 | 4% | |
| DubaiUnited Arab Emirates | 21 | 3% | |
| HamriyahUnited Arab Emirates | 19 | 2% | |
| Jebel AliUnited Arab Emirates | 18 | 2% | |
| Bandar AbbasIran | 13 | 2% | |
| United Arab Emirates | 12 | 2% | |
| DibbaUnited Arab Emirates | 9 | 1% | |
| KhasabOman | 7 | 1% | |
| KandlaIndia | 6 | 1% | |
| Khor al ZubairIraq | 5 | 1% | |
| Singapore | 5 | 1% | |
Share of all 799 commercial ships in the region. Blank, unrecognised and "for orders" entries are not listed. When a ship names only a Gulf country, such as "UAE", we cannot tell which side of the strait it is heading for.
What ships are broadcasting
During the 2026 crisis, some crews have used the AIS destination field to announce something other than a port: most often the nationality of the crew or owners (for example "CHINESE CREW"), or that armed guards are on board, hoping to avoid being targeted. We group the messages we recognise below. The text is shown exactly as broadcast; we cannot verify it.
Crew or owner nationality broadcast · 12 ships
| Ship | Broadcast destination text |
|---|---|
| TAI KEYSTONE228 m | ALLCHINESECREW |
| OCEAN PEARL225 m | IRAQIOWNRINDVIETCREW |
| EM JADE189 m | CHINAOWNER CREWAEFJR |
| AMILMR · 179 m | CHINESE CREW ONBOAR |
| KSL DANYANG180 m | CHINESE CREW&OWNER |
| MAO GANG XIA MEN184 m | SA DMN&CHINA OWNER |
| TAN BINH 345177 m | OWNER&CREW VIETN |
| SC MERCURYMR · 178 m | CHINESE CREW ONBOARD |
| SC FALCONMR · 178 m | CHINESE OWNER W/CREW |
| DA TONG YUN166 m | CHINESE OWNER |
| SC CITRINEMR · 158 m | CHINESE CREW & OWNER |
| KAITOSmall · 135 m | ALL CHINESE CREW O.B |
Armed guards declared · 1 ship
| Ship | Broadcast destination text |
|---|---|
| MAERSK NAMIBIA195 m | AEKLF>ARMED GUARD OB |
Heading for scrapping · 1 ship
| Ship | Broadcast destination text |
|---|---|
| HERO SD150 m | GADANI/FOR/BEACHING |
Two other common entries are routine shipping terms rather than messages: 36 ships say they are "for orders" (the next port has not been fixed yet), and 54 say they are waiting outside port limits (OPL) or at anchorage.
Gone quiet: AIS silent 6+ hours
24 commercial ships within 150 km of the strait have not reported a position for more than six hours. An AIS signal can stop because the transponder was switched off, because signals are jammed or spoofed, or because the ship moved out of range of receivers. Silence alone is not evidence of wrongdoing. Windward counted 110 vessels affected by GPS jamming on 28 September (Windward, 29 Sep 2026).
| Ship | To the line | Last position |
|---|---|---|
| AL TARFSmall · 88 m | 125 km | |
| H7 PMB1225 m | 104 km | |
| EPIKMR · 185 m | 107 km | |
| FRONT SPARTASuezmax · 275 m | 138 km | |
| VALIDESuezmax · 274 m | 114 km | |
| OCEAN LEGACYSmall · 144 m | 109 km | |
| NANCY153 m | 140 km | |
| TIGER WINGSAframax/LR2 · 244 m | 110 km | |
| NV SUNSHINEMR · 226 m | 124 km | |
| ATHINAPanamax/LR1 · 228 m | 128 km | |
| CALISTA93 m | 127 km | |
| ZAHRASmall · 114 m | 111 km | |
| MATURITY ONESmall · 93 m | 119 km | |
| CAVENDISHSmall · 117 m | 114 km | |
| VELA NOVA145 m | 119 km | |
| GAS BELLASmall · 145 m | 116 km | |
| AROLIASmall · 107 m | 96.9 km | |
| YEKTA 11108 m | 87.9 km | |
| WARTA189 m | 84.8 km | |
| KSL QINGYANG189 m | 103 km | |
| LAMAR S187 m | 84.2 km | |
| TATAKISuezmax · 276 m | 126 km | |
| MSC KANU F158 m | 130 km | |
| GFS PRIME222 m | 125 km |
Ships moving near the strait
Crossings today →Hormuz tanker traffic and other commercial ships moving at 2 knots or more within 60 km of our counting line, from positions in the last two hours, closest first. 7 ships are moving now, 3 of them tankers. 5 commercial ships have crossed the line so far today (UTC).
| Ship | Speed | Live map |
|---|---|---|
| SEAWAYMR · 183 m | 10.3 kn | Show SEAWAY on map |
| JANKI200 m | 10.3 kn | Show JANKI on map |
| H7 PMB2228 m | 9.8 kn | Show H7 PMB2 on map |
| CONCORDIA 6100 m | 7.8 kn | Show CONCORDIA 6 on map |
| MIRAANMR · 182 m | 10.6 kn | Show MIRAAN on map |
| NEPTUNE107 m | 5.8 kn | Show NEPTUNE on map |
| NIKIMR · 183 m | 10.1 kn | Show NIKI on map |
Flags and ship types in the region
Flags of ships crossing →Flag of registry
Ship type
Commercial ships in the region now. A flag shows where a ship is registered, not who owns or operates it or where its cargo is going.
Stranded seafarers
Latest updates →The International Maritime Organization says more than 20,000 seafarers in the region are affected by the crisis. Under an IMO evacuation plan, 136 vessels and about 2,900 seafarers were evacuated on 23–26 June; evacuations have since been paused (IMO, updated 24 Sep 2026).
Attacks on shipping: 83 confirmed incidents and 23 seafarer deaths (IMO) (IMO via gCaptain, 23 September 2026).
On 23 September a seafarer was killed when the Cape Dao was hit off Musandam. Nobody has claimed responsibility (gCaptain, 23 Sep 2026).
hormuz.now does not give navigation or security advice. Crews and operators should follow guidance from their flag state, UKMTO and the JMIC.
Live AIS data as of · 1,635 vessels visible in the region. Counts are AIS-visible only and miss ships running dark. How we count.