---
title: "Hundreds of ships drop anchor in Middle East Gulf as US war on Iran escalates, data shows"
type: "News"
locale: "en"
url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/277352004.md"
description: "At least 150 tankers, including crude and LNG vessels, have anchored in the Gulf waters beyond the Strait of Hormuz following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, escalating tensions in the region. The tankers are positioned off the coasts of major Gulf oil producers such as Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, according to ship-tracking data from MarineTraffic."
datetime: "2026-03-01T11:23:24.000Z"
locales:
  - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/277352004.md)
  - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/277352004.md)
  - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/277352004.md)
---

> Supported Languages: [简体中文](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/277352004.md) | [繁體中文](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/277352004.md)


# Hundreds of ships drop anchor in Middle East Gulf as US war on Iran escalates, data shows

LONDON, March 1 (Reuters) - At least 150 tankers including crude and liquefied natural gas vessels dropped anchor in open Gulf waters beyond the Strait of Hormuz and dozens more were stationary on the other side of the chokepoint, shipping data showed on Sunday, after U.S and Israeli strikes on Iran plunged the region into a new war.

The tankers were clustered in open waters off the coasts of major Gulf oil producers including Iraq and Saudi Arabia as well as LNG giant Qatar, according to Reuters estimates based on ship-tracking data from the MarineTraffic platform.

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