U.S. Runs Silent Oil Transfer Operation Through Hormuz Using Iran’s Playbook

The U.S. military has been running a covert, large-scale maritime operation for several weeks to keep oil exports moving from the Persian Gulf despite the disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz. According to Reuters, the effort began in early May and uses a method long associated with Iran: smaller tankers cross the strait and transfer crude at sea to larger vessels waiting outside the danger zone.

The operation is being overseen by U.S. aircraft, drones, unmanned vessels and helicopters, which guide ships to transfer points in the Gulf of Oman. Two main hubs were identified, one off Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates and another near Sohar in Oman. Satellite images showed 17 ship pairs carrying out transfers on June 11 alone, and at least 92 vessels have already taken part. U.S. officials are also screening operators through the Navy office in Bahrain, requiring detailed ownership, cargo and tracking information before granting passage windows.

By now, at least 90 million barrels of oil and fuel products have moved through the network, though that is still far below the roughly 20 million barrels that used to pass daily through Hormuz before the war. The process takes 24 to 40 hours, with smaller tankers approaching in gaps of three to four kilometers, their trackers turned off and lights dimmed, before unloading to very large tankers outside the Iranian-defined control area.

The mission has already faced danger. An American Apache helicopter taking part in the operation was shot down by Iran last week. Maritime risk specialists warn that the blackout sailing conditions increase collision risks, while Iran could still try to block the route with drones or armed boats. Noy Reidan of the Washington Institute said, “I do not see this as a permanent solution. It is a temporary solution for an unusual period.”