Maritime tracking blackout hits Fujairah as Trump-Iran deal progresses: firm
Trump pressures Iran to keep Strait of Hormuz free
President Donald Trump insists the Strait of Hormuz is free, challenging Iran’s claims of a ‘controlled maritime zone’ and possible transit fees. While the United States maintains full control through blockade measures, economic sanctions and diplomatic efforts with Gulf allies intensify pressure on Iran’s nuclear program and regional ambitions.
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Hours before President Donald Trump announced progress on a bilateral peace deal with Iran, maritime monitoring broadcasts crashed near the UAE’s main oil hub, rattling Persian Gulf shipping, according to an AI shipping firm.
Maritime intelligence firm Windward AI first detected the outage in Automatic Identification System (AIS) transmissions near Fujairah; This points to increased electronic warfare, signal jamming, intentional AIS shutdowns and intense cyber interference near the UAE’s major oil port.
“Fujairah goes dark: AIS feeds crash after Iran’s PGSA announcement,” Windward warned in a post shared on X.
The company said, “The ships are still in the region. They are loading less and a significant number of them have gone ashore.”
AS GULF MARITIME OPERATIONS ARE ABOUT TO STOP NEAR IRAN, THE USA IS QUIETLY PREPARING FOR A POSSIBLE STRIKE: ‘INCREASED RISK’
While the conflict between the USA-Israel and Iran limits maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, a tanker waits in Fujairah Port. (REUTERS / Amr Alfiky / File Photo)
As Trump announced the Iran deal had been “substantially negotiated” and the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened, Fujairah continued to ship 1.35 million barrels of crude oil on a single tanker bound for South Korea on Sunday.
“Today, May 24, the port moved 1.35 million barrels, a single VLCC, destined for South Korea,” Windward reported, before reporting a tense, ongoing “truce stance” and the blockade’s footprint being quickly implemented. he said.
“One cargo does not mean a return to baseline, but it is the first signal of continued flow from Fujairah since the announcement,” Windward said. he said.
Before the barrel transfer, Trump stated that Washington and Tehran had “substantially completed” the memorandum of understanding for the peace agreement. It released an AI-generated image showing IRGC fast boats exploding in the strait.
TRUMP SAYS IRAN DEAL ‘MAJORLY NEGOTIATED’ AS 84-DAY WAR NEARS ITS POSSIBLE END
A cargo ship departs from the Persian Gulf to the Strait of Hormuz on April 22, 2026. (AP Photo)
Iran responded directly by continuing to declare that the strategic maritime chokepoint remains under Tehran’s absolute control.
“We reaffirm once again that even if any agreement is reached in the future, the Strait of Hormuz will remain under full Iranian management and sovereignty,” Iran’s official military spokesman, Ibrahim Al-Fiqar, said in a statement shared on X. he said.
“The Islamic Republic emphasizes that the authorities determining transit routes, timing and the issuance of maritime licenses have an absolute sovereign right, which is in the hands of Tehran alone.”
Tanker disruption, crude oil transfer activity, and movement toward the U.S.-Iran agreement accelerated after Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority became operational 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 information (as well as mandatory payments) for “safe passage” through the strait.
Regional analysts told Fox News Digital that before the deal moved forward, Iran’s territorial claims extended beyond its own waters to areas affiliated with Oman and the UAE.
THE USA IS WATCHING IRAN’S FAST BOATS, A ‘KILLING’ TACTIC, WERE TESTED DURING THE DRUG SHIP ATTACK IN VENEZUELA
An Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps speedboat cruises near the Bushehr nuclear power plant in the Persian Gulf during a naval parade marking Persian Gulf National Day in Bushehr, Iran, April 29, 2024. (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto)
Alex VatankaThe director of the Middle East Institute’s Iran Program told Fox News Digital that the practice “depends on the IRGC Navy’s asymmetric tactics.”
“This includes fast boats, drones, radar tracking, coastal missiles and selective intimidation rather than permanent physical interdiction,” Vatanka said. he said.
“Tehran wants Gulf countries and major importers to gradually accept Iranian surveillance over Hormuz as a new geopolitical reality,” he added.
As nuclear issues dominate current negotiations amid reports of a 60-day ceasefire, PGSA has quickly emerged as a tool of economic leverage that threatens global oil and shipping markets.
While Vatanka claimed that PGSA gave Tehran “a mechanism to pressure rivals, favor allies, and normalize IRGC surveillance on one of the world’s most critical energy routes,” he added, “Hormuz is now Iran’s main non-nuclear trump card.” he said.
According to Vatanka, the system functioned as a wartime extortion mechanism.
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“As ships submit cargo and crew data for approval, reports point to silent ‘facilitation payments’, preferential treatment for friendly states and uncertainty for everyone else,” Vatanka said. he warned.
“Iran is deliberately keeping penalties vague. Non-compliant ships risk delay, harassment, drone surveillance, Revolutionary Guard intervention or denial of safe passage; enough pressure to encourage compliance without completely closing the strait.”
