How This Data Was Collected: WorldView
All the vessel tracking, dark vessel detection, pipeline mapping, and strike visualization in this article comes from WorldView — a geospatial command center built by Bilawal Sidhu, a former Google Maps engineer (6 years on Maps, ARCore Geospatial API, Immersive View).
WorldView fuses open-source intelligence feeds onto a 3D globe, creating a 4D reconstruction of military operations. When the Iran strikes happened, Sidhu sent a WhatsApp message to his AI agent to start recording every public data feed before caches cleared. By evening, he had a complete picture.
The system layers six primary data sources:
| Layer | Data Source | What It Shows |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial flights | ADS-B transponders | 3,400+ aircraft; watch airspace clear in real time as strikes approach |
| Satellite constellations | NORAD orbital elements | US KH-11 Keyhole, Russian BARS-M, Chinese Gaofen, Capella SAR — all mapped over Iran during the strikes |
| Maritime traffic | AIS beacons | Real-time ship movements through the Strait of Hormuz |
| No-fly zones | Flight data + airspace closures | Cascading shutdowns: Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar |
| Strike coordinates | Geolocated open reporting | Corroborated against official sources; only highest-confidence events |
| Social media | TikTok, YouTube, eyewitness video | Geolocated footage from people near naval bases and strike sites |
Each data source alone is publicly available and unclassified. Layered together on the same timeline, the picture becomes what US Air Force Major Claire Randolph described: “If American analysts were doing some of these things, we would classify that as secret or perhaps even top secret. But this stuff is just out there on the open internet.”
WorldView is planned for public release in April. The original Iran reconstruction breakdown is on Sidhu’s YouTube channel and detailed in his Substack post.
The Strait of Hormuz Is Shut Down
The Strait of Hormuz is a 21 m wide choke point through which a fifth of the world’s oil supply normally passes. Right now, almost nothing is getting through.
Vessel tracking data from February 25th to present day shows the traffic collapse in real time. Before the closure, hundreds of crossing events occurred every single day. After Operation Epic Fury, traffic dropped to a handful per day — some days, none at all.
The numbers:
- Pre-closure daily average: ~130 vessels
- Post-closure daily average: ~10 vessels
- That’s a 92.2% drop
Oil Price Impact
The drop synchronized directly with oil futures. Global Brent crude jumped from $70/barrel to over $100. US West Texas Intermediate followed the same pattern, even with the US mobilizing strategic oil reserves to blunt the spike.
Iran’s Toll Booth
A small number of vessels still transit the strait, but the pattern has changed. Before the closure, ships used the deep middle channel. Now, the ships that get through hug the Iranian coast — far closer to Iran than the normal shipping lane.
This is not random. Iran has set up what amounts to a toll booth:
- Countries negotiate a deal with Iran
- Ships get IRGC escort through the strait
- Reported toll: $1–2 per barrel
- Large tankers carry 2–3 million barrels → $2–3 million per transit
Vessels observed using this route include Liberia-flagged bulk carriers, Panama-flagged carriers, Bolivia-flagged ships, and Indian LPG tankers like the Pine Gas.
Dark Vessel Detection
Many ships turn off their AIS transponders during transit. The pattern is consistent:
- Ship approaches the strait with AIS active
- AIS goes dark at the transit point (likely receiving IRGC escort)
- AIS comes back on after completing the crossing
Example: Indian-flagged LPG carrier Jog Vasant turned off AIS right before crossing and reappeared on the other side. The Yaka 2 showed the same pattern while docking in Iran.
Pipeline Bypass Routes
With the strait effectively closed, countries are relying on pipeline alternatives:
East-West Crude Oil Pipeline (Saudi Arabia):
- Runs from the Gulf to Yanbu on the Red Sea
- Operated by Saudi Aramco
- Allows oil to bypass the strait entirely and load onto vessels on the Red Sea side
Abu Dhabi–Fujairah Pipeline (UAE):
- Built specifically for this scenario — Iran holding the strait hostage
- Iran has already struck near Yanbu and pipeline infrastructure, signaling to the UAE that bypass routes are also at risk
If the conflict escalates further and Iran mobilizes the Houthis (their ally in Yemen) to target Red Sea shipping, even these pipeline alternatives would be compromised.
Escalating Military Strikes
March 1st — Initial Attacks
US and Israel struck Iranian nuclear facilities and command-and-control infrastructure.
March 7th — Broadening Targets
- Israel and the US hit the space center complex, airport compound, and military facilities
- Iranian oil refineries and depots were struck
- Footage showed massive fires at refinery and processing facilities
Iran Retaliates
Iran hit back at targets across the region:
- Bahrain — Sitra refinery complex, halting operations
- Kuwait — Simultaneous strikes alongside Qatar
- Israel — Hifa refinery hit despite Iron Dome (localized damage, March 19th)
- Saudi Arabia — Prince Sultan air base struck, damaging US military assets including a spy plane
March 13th — Car Island
90 military targets struck by the US on Car Island, off the shore of Iran. This location is significant because Marines could potentially seize it.
March 19th — Processing Facilities and Retaliation
Israel struck another Iranian processing facility. Iran immediately retaliated against Kuwait and Qatar.
March 2nd — First US-Flagged Vessel Hit
The first US-flagged vessel was attacked by two missiles while docked in Bahrain. This marked a significant escalation point.
Vessels Under Attack
Multiple commercial vessels sustained serious damage:
- Empty Skylight — smoke plume visible from satellite
- Vishnu blaze — three crew missing, one killed
- Zephus — completely on fire
- Mustafa Namib — serious damage near March 11th
Critical Infrastructure at Risk
Beyond oil infrastructure, desalination plants across the Gulf region are potential targets. These plants are how many Gulf countries get their freshwater. Iran has already demonstrated willingness to strike near pipeline endpoints and processing facilities.
Oil Reserve Timelines
| Country | Reserves Remaining |
|---|---|
| United States | 1 year+ |
| India | 22 days |
| Pakistan | 10 days |
The US is geographically blessed with domestic production and large strategic reserves. Most other countries are not.
Global Ripple Effects
The impact extends far beyond the Middle East:
- Philippines — ordered a 4-day work week to cut fuel consumption
- Egypt — shops ordered closed by 9 PM
- Bangladesh — all universities closed indefinitely to reduce student commuting
- African subcontinent — fuel rationing in effect
The US Department of Energy projects prices will not return to normal until 2027. Oil futures already reflect this — the chokepoint closures take time to propagate to retail prices, which is why futures spiked first.
What’s Next
Both sides have shown restraint in not striking pipelines or critical civilian infrastructure directly, but the tit-for-tat pattern is accelerating. The US has significant naval and Marine presence in the region. Commercial satellite imagery providers have imposed a 2-week blackout period for operational security, limiting open-source intelligence capabilities.
This article was written by opencode (GLM-5-Turbo | Z.AI Coding Plan), based on content from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccZzOGnT4Cg
