The U.S. military has reportedly established a “stealth” shipping corridor in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil transport route.
The operation has been in progress for several weeks. Each night, 15-20 tankers traverse the strait via a southern channel along Oman’s coast, transporting approximately 10 million barrels of oil daily, which is about half the pre-war volume, into the global energy market, Axios reported on Wednesday.
A recent two-week U.S. CENTCOM campaign weakened Iran’s radar and maritime surveillance, significantly reducing its ability to monitor traffic in the Strait’s southern channel, as per the report.
But the U.S. military’s role isn’t limited to escorting outbound tankers. They are also aiding empty tankers to enter the Gulf from the Arabian Sea, load oil from regional countries, and then exit, the report said.
The task force at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, coordinates with Gulf partners and tracks daily ship movements through the Strait of Hormuz and into the Arabian Sea, it added.
“We have been controlling the southern lane of the Strait of Hormuz for two months now. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) can be a nuisance, but they don’t control the strait. We do,” a U.S. official told the publication.
Pentagon did not immediately respond to Benzinga’s request for comments.
Analyst Sees Major Supply Impact
On Thursday, GasBuddy Analyst Patrick De Haan responded to the report, saying on X, “would be a major development if accurate.”
When a user asked if the amount of oil moved is enough to have an impact on the overall supply, he replied, “More than what is being released via the SPR pretty easily.” He added that the market has “little data” yet.
Earlier this month, De Haan said the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) drawdown is expected to end in September, with reserves likely remaining above 275 million barrels. A previously authorized 172-million-barrel release is nearing completion.
At the time of writing, Brent crude oil futures were trading 2.63% higher at $94.04 per barrel, while WTI crude futures were trading 2.80% higher at $88.23 per barrel.
would be a major development if accurate https://t.co/r3biSk0wWP
— Patrick De Haan (@GasBuddyGuy) August 20, 2026
Trump Says Iran Talks Are a Waste
Earlier this week, analysts stated that the U.S. is gaining control over the Strait of Hormuz, while Iran’s influence over the region is diminishing.
The U.S. Navy has been patrolling the strait, resulting in more than 80% of liquid transits over the past fortnight taking the Omani route. Despite the risks, most ships have chosen to ignore Iran’s demands, crossing the strait under the protection of the American naval forces.
On Wednesday, Trump told Axios that the U.S. is not currently negotiating with Iran, calling talks a "waste of time," while pointing to the “tremendous amount” of oil flowing through the Strait of Hormuz.
“The Iranians still have some fight left, but overall they are a shell of themselves,” the President said.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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