The US military has been running a covert large-scale naval operation for weeks to keep oil exports flowing from Gulf states despite Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz, according to a Reuters report. The operation, which began in early May, uses drones, unmanned vessels and helicopters to guide tankers to rendezvous points with larger vessels waiting outside the strait; at least 92 ships have taken part. An American Apache helicopter shot down in the strait last week was part of this operation, the report states.
Reuters reports that the US military has been conducting a secret, large-scale naval operation in recent weeks designed to maintain the flow of oil exports from Gulf states despite Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The operation, which began in early May, uses a method long associated with Iran itself — ship-to-ship oil transfers at sea — to bypass the blockade. Assets include drones, unmanned vessels, and helicopters that guide oil tankers to rendezvous points with larger vessels waiting outside the strait. At least 92 ships have already participated in the operation, according to shipping data and satellite imagery cited by Reuters.
The report adds that the American Apache helicopter shot down in the Strait of Hormuz last week was part of this covert mission. The revelation comes days after President Donald Trump publicly disclosed a separate secret operation that moved over 100 million barrels of oil through the strait since last month — an operation he said he could no longer keep secret, asserting that Iran's attempt to close the strait had effectively failed. The Zioneer has previously reported on that disclosure as well as on CENTCOM strikes against tankers attempting to breach the blockade. The current Reuters report adds operational detail on how the US is managing the flow of oil exports from allied Gulf states, distinguishing it from the previously disclosed effort to extract Iranian oil without Tehran's knowledge.
The report is attributed to Reuters; the US military has not yet officially confirmed the new details.
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