On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump asserted that the United States had covertly assisted in the movement of over 100 million barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz, which equates to nearly 20% of the daily global oil consumption, without the knowledge of Iran. However, it has been reported that this operation had already been made public in prior media coverage.
Trump’s comments seemed designed to underscore the military’s role in protecting global energy resources, yet they drew scrutiny due to the earlier revelations about the operation. While addressing the press in the Oval Office, Trump claimed that the U.S. had facilitated the transit of commercial vessels through this vital waterway, implying that Iran was unaware of these activities. According to Reuters, he indicated that the operation involved ships navigating at night without lights, as U.S. military operations had diminished Iran’s capacity to monitor maritime activities.
Moments ago, President Trump confirmed that a classified U.S. military initiative had successfully escorted over 100 million barrels of oil to the open market.
Under the discreet command of the White House, more than 200 commercial vessels effectively navigated through the strategic waterway.
Nevertheless, The New York Times reported that the operation Trump mentioned was not entirely undisclosed and had been previously covered in news articles weeks ago. Citing a senior official from U.S. Central Command, the newspaper noted that assistance had been provided to commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz while implementing measures to avoid detection. The official stated that over 200 vessels had been guided through the strait recently, a significant increase from the approximately 70 ships reported earlier.
The report further indicated that some vessels had turned off their transponders during transit and opted for routes that were further away from the Iranian coastline, thereby minimizing the risk of attacks from Iranian drones or missiles. Maritime analysts remarked that these ships appeared to be navigating closer to Omani waters.
The Strait of Hormuz, situated between Iran and Oman, stands as one of the most crucial oil transit passages globally. According to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration cited by Reuters, around 20% of the world’s oil consumption flows through this narrow channel, making any disruption a significant concern for international energy markets.
Amid ongoing tensions between Washington and Tehran, security operations in and around the strait continue to attract considerable attention from governments, shipping firms, and energy traders around the globe.
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