Over 10 Supertankers Reverse Course as Fujairah Ship-to-Ship Transfer Operations Come Under Pressure
nashnova research
At least 10 VLCCs have halted or reversed course en route to the UAE port of Fujairah in recent days, as Iran's routine attacks on shipping shake the ship-to-ship transfer system that Gulf crude exports depend on — adding upward pressure on global oil prices and freight costs.
Why are these tankers turning around?
Bloomberg vessel-tracking data shows at least 10 VLCCs — very large crude carriers, each capable of holding roughly 2 million barrels — plus several Suezmax tankers have stopped or reversed course while heading toward Fujairah.
The trigger: Iran's attacks on vessels near the Strait of Hormuz have become routine. Tehran has warned that any merchant ship or tanker cooperating with the US military in the strait and the Persian Gulf will face "decisive action."
This means → shipowners' calculus has shifted from "occasional risk, manageable" to "systematic risk, unacceptable." Empty supertankers are walking away from high freight rates rather than sailing closer.
How does the Fujairah transfer system work?
Fujairah sits outside the Strait of Hormuz and serves as the central node for Persian Gulf crude transshipment at sea.
In plain terms = wartime Gulf exports run on a relay race: smaller shuttle tankers take the risk of crossing the strait to carry crude out, while large tankers wait near Fujairah to receive the cargo and deliver it to international buyers.
Bloomberg notes that the number of vessels heading toward Fujairah is itself a broad gauge of whether the shipping industry is willing to approach this high-risk zone.
The big ships leave — what happens to the relay?
The system depends on having enough large receiving vessels waiting on the outside. When they leave, shuttle tankers have nowhere to offload.
This means → shuttle tankers must travel farther to find a receiver, stretching each round trip and slowing the entire chain's turnaround.
Even if some ships still transit the strait itself, the pace of export recovery gets bottlenecked — and global tanker supply is already tight.
Freight rates are sky-high — why won't shipowners go?
The global tanker shortage has pushed freight to extreme levels — Bloomberg notes that chartering a tanker to move crude from the US to China now costs more than launching a rocket into space.
But those rates assume a completed voyage. Iran's ongoing attacks create three layers of uncertainty: safe arrival, successful transfer, and controllable insurance and delay costs.
Put simply = no freight rate matters if the ship gets hit. Shipowners choosing to "leave the money on the table" signals they see risk exceeding reward.
What does this mean for the crude market?
The question is no longer just whether ships still transit the Strait of Hormuz. It is how many tankers are willing to enter the surrounding waters — and whether the transfer system can keep functioning.
Fewer empty tankers + longer turnaround times → Gulf export capacity is being physically compressed, keeping global supply and freight costs under pressure.
This reflects a deeper signal: Iran's strategy does not need to seal the strait. It only needs to keep enough shipowners too scared to come close — and the squeeze on exports follows on its own.
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