{"id":18832,"date":"2026-05-24T20:51:27","date_gmt":"2026-05-24T20:51:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/2026\/05\/24\/mass-tanker-blackout-rattles-gulf-ahead-of-1-35m-barrel-oil-transfer-amid-us-iran-talks-firm-fox-news\/"},"modified":"2026-05-24T20:51:27","modified_gmt":"2026-05-24T20:51:27","slug":"mass-tanker-blackout-rattles-gulf-ahead-of-1-35m-barrel-oil-transfer-amid-us-iran-talks-firm-fox-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/2026\/05\/24\/mass-tanker-blackout-rattles-gulf-ahead-of-1-35m-barrel-oil-transfer-amid-us-iran-talks-firm-fox-news\/","title":{"rendered":"Mass tanker blackout rattles Gulf ahead of 1.35M-barrel oil transfer amid US-Iran talks: firm – Fox News"},"content":{"rendered":"

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. \u00a92026 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset<\/a>. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions<\/a>. Legal Statement<\/a>. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG<\/a>.
President Donald Trump insists on a toll-free Strait of Hormuz, pushing back against Iran’s claims of a ‘controlled maritime zone’ and potential tolls. The U.S. maintains total control through blockade measures, while economic sanctions and diplomatic efforts with Gulf allies intensify pressure on Iran’s nuclear program and regional ambitions.
Maritime tracking transmissions collapsed near the UAE\u2019s main oil hub, rattling Persian Gulf shipping hours before President Donald Trump<\/a> announced progress was made on a bilateral peace deal with Iran, according to an AI maritime firm. 
Maritime intelligence firm Windward AI first detected<\/a> the blackout in Automatic Identification System (AIS) transmissions near Fujairah, suggesting heightened electronic warfare, jamming, deliberate AIS shutdowns and intense cyber interference near the key UAE oil port.
“Fujairah goes dark: AIS transmissions collapse after Iran\u2019s PGSA announcement,” Windward warned in a post shared on X.
“Vessels are still in the area. They are loading less, and a meaningful number have gone dark,” the firm said.
GULF SHIPPING OPERATIONS GRIND TO HALT NEAR IRAN, US QUIETLY PREPARES FOR POSSIBLE STRIKE: ‘HEIGHTENED RISK’<\/strong><\/a>
A tanker sits at the Port of Fujairah, as the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran limits marine traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.<\/span> (REUTERS \/ Amr Alfiky \/ File Photo)<\/span>
As Trump announced that an Iran deal was “largely negotiated” and would see a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, Fujairah went on to move 1.35 million barrels of crude Sunday aboard a single tanker bound for South Korea.
“Today, May 24, the port moved 1.35 million barrels, a single VLCC, destined for South Korea,” Windward said before reporting a tense, ongoing “ceasefire posture” and blockade footprint quickly being set into place.
“One cargo doesn’t mark a return to baseline, but it’s the first signal of flow resuming out of Fujairah since the announcement,” Windward said.
Ahead of the barrel transfer, Trump had stated that Washington and Tehran had “largely finalized” a memorandum of understanding for a peace agreement<\/a>.  He posted an AI-generated image depicting exploding IRGC fast boats in the strait.
TRUMP SAYS IRAN DEAL \u2018LARGELY NEGOTIATED\u2019 AS 84-DAY WAR NEARS POSSIBLE END<\/strong><\/a>
A cargo ship sails in the Persian Gulf toward the Strait of Hormuz on April 22, 2026.<\/span> (AP Photo)<\/span>
Iran responded directly by continuing to declare the strategic maritime chokepoint stays under Tehran\u2019s absolute control.
“We reaffirm that the Strait of Hormuz will remain under full Iranian administration and sovereignty, even in the event of reaching any future agreement,” Iran\u2019s official military<\/a> spokesperson, Ibrahim Al-Fiqar, said in a statement shared on X.
“The Islamic Republic emphasizes that the authorities to determine transit routes, timing, and issuance of maritime licenses are an absolute sovereign right exclusively in the hands of Tehran.”
The tanker blackout, crude transfer activity and movement toward a U.S.-Iran deal accelerated following the launch of Iran\u2019s Persian Gulf Strait Authority<\/a> on May 20.
Overseen by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy, the PGSA functions as a sovereign regulator by requiring ships to submit vessel, cargo, insurance and crew details \u2014 along with mandatory payments \u2014 for “safe passage” through the strait.
Regional analysts told Fox News Digital that, ahead of deal progression, Iran\u2019s territorial claims had even been stretching beyond its own waters into areas tied to Oman and the UAE.
US EYES IRAN FAST BOATS WITH \u2018KILL\u2019 TACTICS TESTED IN VENEZUELA DRUG-BOAT STRIKES<\/strong><\/a>
An Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps speedboat sails in the Persian Gulf near the Bushehr nuclear power plant during a marine parade marking Persian Gulf National Day in Bushehr, Iran, on April 29, 2024.<\/span> (Morteza Nikoubazl\/NurPhoto)<\/span>
Alex Vatanka<\/a>, director of the Iran Program at the Middle East<\/a> Institute, told Fox News Digital that enforcement “relies on the IRGC Navy\u2019s asymmetric playbook.”
“This includes fast boats, drones, radar tracking<\/a>, coastal missiles and selective intimidation rather than constant physical interdiction,” Vatanka said.
“Tehran wants Gulf states and major importers<\/a> to gradually accept Iranian oversight of Hormuz as a new geopolitical reality,” he added.
While nuclear issues are dominating the current negotiations amid reports of a 60-day ceasefire<\/a>, the PGSA has quickly emerged as an economic leverage tool threatening global oil and shipping markets.
“Now Hormuz is Iran\u2019s main non-nuclear leverage tool<\/a>,” Vatanka said as the PGSA he claimed gives Tehran a “mechanism to pressure rivals, favor allies and normalize IRGC oversight of one of the world\u2019s most critical energy routes.”
According to Vatanka, the system was functioning as a wartime extortion mechanism.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP<\/u><\/strong><\/a>
“Ships submit cargo and crew data for approval, while reports point to quiet \u2018facilitation payments,\u2019 preferential treatment for friendly states and uncertainty for everyone else,” Vatanka warned.
“Iran keeps the penalties deliberately vague. Noncompliant ships risk delays, harassment, drone surveillance<\/a>, IRGC interception or denial of safe passage \u2014 enough pressure to encourage compliance without outright closing the strait.”
Emma Bussey is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital. Before joining Fox, she worked at The Telegraph with the U.S. overnight team, across desks including foreign, politics, news, sport and culture.\u00a0
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This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. \u00a92026 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset<\/a>. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions<\/a>. Legal Statement<\/a>. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG<\/a>. <\/p>\n

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