Two senior American officials said Thursday that the U.S. military has secretly established an alternative shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz, moving millions of barrels of oil daily and already affecting global crude supply. The remarks add official weight to an Axios report earlier Thursday of a covert U.S. maritime corridor.
Two senior U.S. officials stated Thursday that the U.S. military has secretly established an alternative shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz, and that the route is already carrying millions of barrels of oil per day — a volume they said is having a noticeable effect on global crude supply.
The remarks add official weight to an Axios report earlier Thursday that the U.S. military had created a covert shipping corridor. As The Zioneer reported, that earlier report noted tankers could enter the Persian Gulf, load oil, and exit safely via the new route.
The development follows a series of U.S. actions to maintain maritime traffic through the strategic chokepoint amid Iranian threats to close it. Over recent months, Washington has disclosed secret oil tanker seizures, conducted covert ship-to-ship transfers in the Gulf, and increased air and naval patrols to shift traffic to Omani waters, as documented in previous Zioneer bulletins.
No independent verification of the officials' claim was immediately available, but it aligns with earlier reporting on the scope of U.S. operations in the waterway.
7 developments
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- StrongUS Official: US to Lift Naval Blockade on Iran After Hormuz Free Passage Deal
- DevelopingIran's top security official: US siege will strengthen Hormuz closure, shut more straits
- DevelopingCNN: US intelligence assesses Iran can use Strait of Hormuz as new leverage
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