Zombie Ships In Choked Hormuz? Tanker Scrapped 5 Years Ago Seen Moving From Persian Gulf To Oman

Last Updated:March 23, 2026, 13:13 IST

Data shows the vessel posing as Nabiin entered the Persian Gulf hours before the war began, listing Iraq’s Khor Al Zubair as its destination.

An oil tanker believed to have been scrapped years ago has crossed the Strait of Hormuz, flagging second such “zombie ship" crossing in recent days.

The vessel, identified as Nabiin, was tracked in the Persian Gulf on Sunday evening and appeared in the Gulf of Oman by Monday morning, according to ship-tracking data. However, records searched by Bloomberg News show the Aframax tanker, built in 2002, had been sent to breaking yards in Bangladesh five years ago.

Rise of ‘zombie tankers’

The ship posing as Nabiin is believed to be a “zombie tanker", a vessel that assumes the identity of a scrapped, legitimate ship.

It follows a similar case in which a ship identifying itself as the liquefied natural gas carrier Jamal – recorded as beached at an Indian demolition yard last year – crossed the Strait on Friday.

Bloomberg News could not immediately confirm the true identity of the vessel using the Nabiin name.

The unusual crossings show the steps shipowners are taking to move cargo through the Strait, which has been effectively shut since the war in West Asia began at the end of February.

US President Donald Trump has given Iran a two-day deadline to reopen the route or face strikes on its power plants. Tehran has warned it would fully close the Strait if such attacks take place.

So far, vessels that have managed to pass appear to be linked to Iran or have received approval from Tehran. Others have switched off tracking signals to avoid detection.

Unclear route and ownership details

Data shows the vessel posing as Nabiin entered the Persian Gulf hours before the war began, listing Iraq’s Khor Al Zubair as its destination. It remained within the Gulf before exiting, though its exact movements are unclear due to heavy electronic interference affecting tracking signals.

After leaving, the ship indicated it was fully loaded based on draft readings but did not specify a destination.

Muhit Maritime FZE and Sagitta Maritime Co Ltd, both based in Dubai, are listed as the vessel’s manager and owner on the Equasis database. Both firms share the same contact details, but attempts to reach them by phone failed and emails were returned.

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