US quietly guides millions of barrels of oil through Strait of Hormuz in stealth operation
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The US has been stealthily shepherding millions of barrels of oil a day across the Strait of Hormuz, helping prevent further shocks to the world’s oil markets, analysts said.
The US successfully protected tankers carrying about 5 million barrels of oil daily throughout July by conducting stealth missions near the Omani coast, the New York Times reported.
“They have been extraordinarily effective in keeping that southern corridor operating, despite the attacks,” Windward shipping analyst Michelle Wiese Bockmann told the outlet.
The missions began in May with around 70 ships crossing in the first three weeks — many opting to use shadow fleet tactics such as turning off their radars to sneak by undetected.
Despite repeated attacks from Iran, which claims to control the strait, the ships continued to cross regularly through June and July, which likely kept oil prices from breaking into the triple digits like it did during the first months of the war.
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright estimated that even more oil was sneaking through, claiming that 9 million barrels of oil were passing through Hormuz daily.
US Central Command, which oversees the missions, approximates that it has helped more than 1,000 ships cross the strait since the war began.
The operation, however, does not come without significant costs, with the US forced to deploy ships, helicopters and planes to intercept attacks from Iran.
The cost of intercepting the strikes is notably higher than what it costs Iran to attack using its cheaper suicide drones.
The interceptions are also not foolproof, with at least 15 ships taking damage from Iranian fire since June, according to the United Nations’ International Maritime Organization.
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The attacks have also resulted in the death of three seafarers and left another 16 injured, with the latest deadly attack taking place on Tuesday, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations.
The deadly attacks have left many ships still unwilling to cross the Strait of Hormuz, with about two-thirds of the pre-war oil flow still trapped by Iran’s constant attacks.
While oil prices are still lower than from the height of the war, the breakdown in negotiations between the US and Iran led the Brent crude benchmark to spike to $93 per barrel on Wednesday.