The United States military has quietly established a maritime shipping corridor across the Strait of Hormuz to facilitate the transport of millions of barrels of crude oil daily, even as the conflict with Iran continues in a stalemate, reported news outlet Axios, citing two US officials.
The development comes shortly after US President Donald Trump ruled out extending a fragile 60-day ceasefire agreement with Tehran, asserting that the Strait of Hormuz remains open and that Washington exercises “total control” over the strategic maritime passage.
According to the officials, the operation has been active for several weeks, with 15 to 20 tankers navigating through a southern channel along the Omani coastline every night. Approximately 10 million barrels of oil per day, nearly half of the pre-conflict volume, are currently being moved out of the Gulf into international markets.
Beyond escorting loaded vessels, the US-led initiative also assists empty tankers in travelling from the Arabian Sea through the strait into Gulf ports to load oil before making the return journey.
The coordination is handled by a US task force operating out of Army headquarters at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, in collaboration with regional Gulf partners. Tankers are organised into structured inbound and outbound convoys that move through the designated southern corridor under American military direction.
