US opens secret oil shipping corridor through Hormuz amid Iran stalemate: Report

The US military has secretly established an oil shipping corridor through the Strait of Hormuz amid the Iran war stalemate, Axios reported, citing two US officials. The operation has been running for weeks, with 15-20 tankers crossing the strait each night off Oman's coast.

In Short

• US military set up secret shipping corridor in Strait of Hormuz
• Operation involves escorting empty tankers to Gulf ports for oil loading
• Average daily oil exports through Hormuz nears 10 million barrels

The US military has secretly established a shipping corridor through the Strait of Hormuz to transport millions of barrels of oil each day, even as the wider Iran war remains at a stalemate, Axios reported, citing two US officials. The development came days after Trump ruled out extending a 60-day fragile ceasefire deal with Iran, saying the Strait of Hormuz remains open, and the US has "total control" of the key waterway.

The operation has been underway for several weeks, with 15-20 tankers entering and exiting the strait each night through a southern channel along Oman's coast. About 10 million barrels of oil a day – roughly half the pre-war volume – are now being transported out of the Gulf and into global markets, according to the officials.

The US-led operation involves more than escorting oil-laden tankers. The US military is also helping empty tankers travel from the Arabian Sea through Hormuz into Gulf ports to collect oil before returning through the strait.

The operation is coordinated by a US task force based at Army headquarters in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, with regional Gulf partners. Tankers are organised into scheduled inbound and outbound convoys that transit the southern channel under US military guidance.

US officials said the operation was enabled by a recent two-week US Central Command campaign that damaged Iran's radar and maritime surveillance systems. The US Air Force is also providing protection against Iranian drones and cruise missiles.

Iran's ability to monitor traffic through the southern channel has been reduced to a limited number of restored radars and observers aboard small Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps boats, US officials said. They added that Iranian forces have launched attacks towards suspected shipping routes, but many missiles and drones have been intercepted by US forces.

Over the past two weeks, 15-20 tankers have crossed the strait each night, with average daily oil exports now approaching 10 million barrels. On some days, exports have reached 15 million-20 million barrels, according to US officials.

The operation has helped ease one of the biggest economic consequences of the war – disruption to oil supplies through Hormuz, a key global energy route. However, flows remain below pre-war levels.

“There is a tremendous amount of oil coming out of the Strait of Hormuz,” US President Donald Trump told Axios on Wednesday, while saying Washington was not currently negotiating with Iran.

The full details of the US operation had not previously been reported, Axios reported.

HORMUZ A FLASHPOINT IN IRAN WAR

The Strait of Hormuz has become a major flashpoint since the Iran war broke out on February 28, with traffic through the waterway repeatedly disrupted amid conflicting claims over whether it is open or effectively blocked. US President Donald Trump has even declared the strategic waterway a US territory.

The strait is one of the world's most important oil chokepoints, carrying roughly 20 per cent of the world's oil consumption and about a quarter of globally traded oil. It also carries around 11.4 billion cubic feet of LNG a day.

Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has repeatedly been disrupted since the Iran war broke out, with the US saying the waterway is open while Iran maintains that it remains blocked. Reuters reported on Wednesday that only six commodity vessels had passed through on Tuesday, well below normal traffic.

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