Most commercial ships bound for India are switching off their tracking, or position-identification, systems while crossing the Strait of Hormuz to avoid the risk of a possible Iranian attack, according to maritime traffic data.
Data from the maritime intelligence firm Kpler shows that about 62 percent of tankers and cargo ships sailing from the Persian Gulf toward India switch off their transponders while crossing the strait. Vessels normally use Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponders to broadcast their identity, position and destination, but in high-risk areas they sometimes stop transmitting to conceal their identity — a practice known in maritime parlance as “going dark.”
Ships flagged by Western allies or by countries hostile to Iran face greater risk on this route. Vessel movements show that such ships are using the Oman-controlled sea lane, a route backed by the United States and Oman but not recognised by Iran. By contrast, ships using the Iran-controlled route generally keep their transponders on, although some have switched off tracking even while under Iranian surveillance.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report