Donald Trump stated that the US has run a secret operation in the Strait of Hormuz to help Gulf oil exporters avoid Iran’s restrictions on shipments, a situation that has affected global energy prices for months. During remarks from the Oval Office, the president said Iran did not know dozens of tankers had been guided out at night with tracking systems disabled. He later posted that 200 vessels had carried over 100 million barrels this way. Energy Secretary Chris Wright told Congress he was unaware of large-scale assistance but noted some military support for oil movements. Reports from maritime sources indicate tankers have used shadow transits with AIS off, supported by US overwatch using drones and aircraft near Oman. Empty vessels then conduct ship-to-ship transfers in the Gulf of Oman before returning for new loads from UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and Iraq. Pre-crisis traffic averaged 138 ships daily, but numbers dropped sharply after tensions rose, with only about 25 percent of tankers present at the start managing to exit. Analysts recorded 36 transits in early June, half without signals. Market data from Kpler suggests flows may have reached 1.9 million barrels daily since April, though far below the prior 15.6 million. Brent crude prices have fallen from over 110 dollars to around 93 dollars a barrel recently.
