Washington, D.C., Aug. 20 (ANI): The U.S. military has quietly established a maritime shipping corridor across the Strait of Hormuz to facilitate the transport of millions of barrels of crude oil daily, even as the conflict with Iran remains deadlocked, Axios reported, citing two U.S. officials.
The development comes shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump ruled out extending a fragile 60-day ceasefire agreement with Tehran, asserting that the Strait of Hormuz remains open and that Washington exercises “total control” over the strategic maritime passage.
According to the officials, the operation has been active for several weeks, with 15 to 20 tankers navigating a southern channel along the Omani coastline each night. Approximately 10 million barrels of oil per day, nearly half the pre-conflict volume, are currently being transported from the Gulf to international markets.
Beyond escorting loaded vessels, the U.S.-led initiative also assists empty tankers traveling from the Arabian Sea through the strait into Gulf ports to load oil before making the return journey.
The coordination is handled by a U.S. task force operating out of Army headquarters at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, in collaboration with regional Gulf partners. Tankers are organized into structured inbound and outbound convoys that move through the designated southern corridor under American military direction.
U.S. officials said the maritime corridor became viable following a recent two-week campaign by U.S. Central Command that degraded Iran’s radar capabilities and maritime surveillance infrastructure. The U.S. Air Force is also providing air-defense coverage against potential Iranian drone and cruise missile strikes.
Following the strikes, Tehran’s monitoring capabilities along the southern route have been restricted to a small number of repaired radar stations and observers stationed on minor Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps vessels, according to U.S. officials.
They said Iranian forces have fired missiles toward perceived shipping lanes, but American forces have successfully neutralized numerous incoming threats.
Over the past two weeks, nighttime transits of 15 to 20 tankers have stabilized daily oil exports at around 10 million barrels, with peak volumes occasionally reaching between 15 million and 20 million barrels per day.
Although energy flows remain below prewar levels, the operation has mitigated a major economic disruption resulting from the conflict at one of the world’s primary energy transit points.
“There is a tremendous amount of oil coming out of the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump told Axios on Wednesday, while clarifying that Washington is not engaged in active negotiations with Tehran.
The complete operational details of the U.S.-managed shipping corridor had not previously been disclosed, Axios noted.
The Strait of Hormuz has been a primary point of friction since hostilities escalated on Feb. 28, leading to repeated supply disruptions and conflicting claims over whether the passage is operational or blocked. Trump has previously declared the strategic waterway to be U.S. territory.
The strait is a critical global energy chokepoint, accounting for roughly 20 percent of global oil consumption, a quarter of globally traded oil and approximately 11.4 billion cubic feet of liquefied natural gas (LNG) daily. (ANI)
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