A zombie ship is a vessel that assumes the identity of a scrapped, deregistered, or decommissioned ship by reusing its IMO number and name to evade maritime scrutiny and sanctions, as exemplified by the March 2026 case where a ship posing as the dismantled LNG carrier Jamal transited the Strait of Hormuz.

CURRENT STATE

The March 2026 transit of the zombie ship through the Strait of Hormuz marks the first known use of this deceptive tactic in this strategically critical and high-risk shipping lane since the regional conflict escalated. This reflects a broader surge in zombie ship activity driven by expanded Western sanctions since 2022, with about 285 tankers employing such methods by the end of 2025 to bypass restrictions and carry illicit cargo. The tactic exploits weaknesses in maritime tracking and identity verification, complicating enforcement and regional security.

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