According to a report by the American news website Axios on the 19th, the US military has quietly established a shipping channel in and out of the Strait of Hormuz to ensure that millions of barrels of oil are transported out of the strait each day.
The report, quoting two US officials, pointed out that this operation has been ongoing for several weeks. In the past two weeks, 15 to 20 oil tankers have entered and exited the strait daily via a southern route along the coast of Oman.
US officials said that the daily volume of oil transported continues to rise, and it is now close to 10 million barrels per day. On some nights, the total amount of oil transported from the Gulf has even reached 15 to 20 million barrels.
US officials noted that although the amount of oil shipped through the Strait of Hormuz is still below pre-war levels, it has already had a significant impact on global supply.
According to the report, the operation is commanded by the 82nd Airborne Division headquarters at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The operation is not limited to escorting oil tankers loaded with oil but also assists empty tankers entering the Gulf from the Arabian Sea via the strait. After loading oil in the UAE, Bahrain, and Kuwait, these tankers then depart. According to the plan, these ships form a large convoy to exit the strait during a specific time slot each night, and another convoy to enter during another slot, passing through multiple checkpoints during their voyage. The US military has deployed fighter jets to patrol overhead, searching for and shooting down Iranian cruise missiles and drones.
US officials revealed that a recent military operation by US Central Command has weakened Iran's radar and maritime surveillance systems, greatly diminishing Iran's ability to monitor ships traversing the southern shipping route of the Strait of Hormuz. Many of Iran's attacks on ships have been intercepted by US forces.