By BlueShift | 2026-04-07

The Iranian regime's closure of the Strait of Hormuz to all but a few vessels has placed a stranglehold on global maritime trade and energy supplies while endangering the tankers and crews of many nations.

Amid the ongoing conflict, US satellites have been playing a critical role in maritime security by providing vessels in the strategic waterway with real-time intelligence, tracking and threat detection.

This includes helping hundreds of tankers steer clear of Iranian drone attacks, fast-attack boats, and potential mining activities that threaten shipping.

It also includes providing enhanced situational awareness to help vessels navigate amid severe GPS interference that is affecting commercial navigation.

Iran's near-total closure of the Strait of Hormuz is impacting global supplies of important commodities including oil, liquefied natural gas (LNG) and fertilizer and leading to sharp rises in energy prices.

In early April, Brent crude oil prices surged to above $111 per barrel.

"We cannot accept economic terrorism affecting our region and the world, the whole world is being affected by the developments," Bahrain's United Nations ambassador Jamal Alrowaiei said last week.

The situation is escalating, Global Trade magazine reported April 2, and what started as a maritime bottleneck is now triggering a chain reaction across energy, transport and food markets.

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development warns that this is only the beginning of a broader economic ripple effect.

Around a fifth of global crude oil and LNG passes through the Strait of Hormuz in peacetime, when there are around 120 daily transits, according to shipping industry intelligence site Lloyd's List.

There has been a 94% decrease in traffic since March 1, with commodities carriers making just 225 crossings, according to maritime intelligence firm Kpler.

Between March 1 and April 1, there have been attacks or reported incidents with 27 commercial ships, including 13 tankers, in the Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, or the Gulf of Oman, according to UK Maritime Trade Operations.

On April 1, a tanker leased to Qatar's state-owned energy company was struck by an Iranian missile in Qatar's territorial waters, AFP reported.

Since the conflict began, at least 11 seafarers or dock workers have died in incidents in the region, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) said April 1, with that number already rising.

Human remains were found aboard a cargo ship struck by Iran while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, the vessel's owner said April 3.

The Thai-flagged Mayuree Naree was struck in March while traveling through the strait after departing Khalifa port in the United Arab Emirates, AFP reported. Three crew members had been reported missing following the attack.

Satellite communications

The ongoing war has caused severe disruptions to global shipping, economic analyst Jannik Neu of the London Economics Space Team wrote March 26.

The maritime sector is highly dependent on satellite communications (satcom), which contribute to the safety and operations of the global fleet, he said.

"In practice, satcom has become the primary means of communication for maritime operations and safety, forming the invisible backbone on which the business of modern shipping runs," he wrote.

"Vessels anchoring outside the Strait [of Hormuz] are awaiting instructions from their owners, rerouting in real time, and exchanging data on cargo status, all of which rely on continuous ship-to-shore connectivity via satcom," Neu noted.

"At the same time, the safety of crews operating in an active conflict zone is under constant threat."

Satcom is involved in each of these situations, he said, by keeping the global fleet operational and enabling critical safety communications at sea.

The Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) relies on satellite communications, Neu wrote.

In an emergency, "a vessel can trigger an alert at the press of a button, transmitting its identity and location via satellite to a Rescue Coordination Center." The alert is sent to nearby vessels, which are legally required to assist.

Recognized Mobile Satellite Services (RMSS) are satellite-based systems approved by the IOM to support the GMDSS, providing authorized safety and emergency communications.

The primary RMSS providers are UK-based Inmarsat and US-based Iridium.

Also supporting maritime safety is Cospas-Sarsat, a one-way alerting system that relies on instruments hosted on US satellites. This gives the identity and position of a vessel in distress but does not provide two-way communication.

Maritime Safety Information, including real-time updates on navigational hazards and severe weather, is also broadcast to vessels at sea via satcom.

"In the current crisis, these capabilities are not theoretical but essential," Neu wrote, noting that "satcom’s importance becomes most visible in times of crisis."

Enhanced surveillance tools

Sophisticated multilateral maritime security frameworks incorporate space-based technology to coordinate maritime protection efforts in and around Gulf waters, Discovery Alert reported April 1.

Satellite surveillance systems and automated identification networks are used for vessel monitoring; while AIS-integrated satellite-based vessel tracking systems provide comprehensive situational awareness across vast maritime areas.

Synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) systems are used to monitor coastal facilities and track threats in darkness and in all types of weather.

Commercial and military satellites compile an aggregated picture in order to track vessels in real-time; with encrypted Long-Range Identification and Tracking systems monitoring ships' positions and high-risk areas.

Satellite imagery is also combined with other intelligence sources.

US-based company Danti applies AI models to organize and interpret data streams used in geospatial intelligence, aggregating satellite and drone imagery, radio-frequency and other signals data, Space News reported March 15.

This includes AIS ship tracking feeds and other open-source information.

The situation in the Strait of Hormuz is driving demand for tools that combine satellite imagery with other sources of intelligence, Danti chief executive Jesse Kallman told Space News.

"This is a dynamic situation where maritime traffic patterns are shifting within hours of an incident," he said, noting that this has pushed the demands of maritime domain awareness to "a different scale."

Defense and intelligence agencies often subscribe to multiple commercial satellite operators and may have access to classified or proprietary sensor feeds, Kallman said. Commercial organizations typically rely on fewer data sources.

"The global energy market's vulnerability to maritime chokepoint disruptions represents one of the most pressing challenges facing international energy security," Discovery Alert observed.

"The interconnected nature of modern energy infrastructure means that disruptions to critical shipping lanes can trigger cascading effects across supply chains, financial markets, and national energy security frameworks," it said.

It pointed to a complex architecture that underpins global energy stability, with regulatory mechanisms, diplomatic protocols and technological solutions converging to protect the flow of energy through the Strait of Hormuz.