40 Oil Tankers Pass Through Strait of Hormuz, US Secret Operation to Secure Navigation - Sarmad
The American website Axios revealed on Saturday that approximately 40 oil tankers passed through the Strait of Hormuz via its southern route on Friday night, coinciding with the establishment of a waterway accompanied by air protection by the US military to secure navigation.
According to US government officials whose names were not disclosed by the website, the tankers carried about 16 million barrels of oil out of the Arabian Gulf toward international waters, despite Iran imposing a blockade on the strategic strait.
Secret US Operation
These developments come amid a “secret operation” carried out by the US military for weeks, aimed at assisting empty tankers entering the Arabian Gulf from the Arabian Sea via the strait, before loading oil and exiting again, according to Axios.
According to the website, between 15 and 20 oil tankers cross the strait daily in both directions through a southern channel adjacent to the Omani coast. US officials estimate the volume of oil exiting daily through the strait at around 10 million barrels.
Although oil flows through the strait remain below pre-war levels, they are pumping significant supplies into the global market, according to US officials cited by the website.
Facilities for Iraqi Oil
In a related development, Iran allowed some Iraqi oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, as reported by the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).
This came in response to demands presented by Iraqi leadership during the visit of Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf to Baghdad last week, according to IRNA.
Since the outbreak of war following the US-Israeli attack on Tehran on February 28, the Strait of Hormuz and the future of navigation through it have become one of the most prominent points of contention between the United States and Iran.
Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding regarding freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz on June 18 last year, but its implementation was stalled due to disagreements concerning the security of the strait.
Iran has closed the strait since the start of the war, while the United States, in turn, has imposed a blockade on Iranian ports.
On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump announced that there are no ongoing or upcoming discussions with Iran, describing the Strait of Hormuz as “new American land,” while Tehran confirmed that the vital passage will not be opened until its demands are met.
