Ankara: The US military has reportedly set up a clandestine shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz, facilitating the movement of millions of barrels of oil daily despite ongoing tensions with Iran. This strategic operation, as reported by Axios, is said to involve 15 to 20 tankers navigating a southern channel along the coast of Oman each night.

According to Anadolu Agency, US President Donald Trump confirmed the significant volume of oil being exported through this corridor, while also stating that there are no current negotiations with Iran. The operation, in effect for several weeks, is designed to maintain a flow of about 10 million barrels of oil per day, which is approximately half of the pre-war levels.

The report highlights the role of US forces in assisting tankers to enter and exit the Gulf, load oil from countries like the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Kuwait, and safely traverse the strait. A US official reportedly claimed that the US has controlled the southern lane of the Strait of Hormuz for two months, asserting that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps does not have control over the strait.

Coordination of this operation is managed by a task force based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, under the Army's 82nd Airborne Division. The operation involves organizing vessels into scheduled movements and providing checkpoints for navigation, with US Air Force fighter jets patrolling the area to counter potential threats from missiles and drones.

The success of this operation was attributed to a recent US Central Command (CENTCOM) campaign that impaired Iran's radar and maritime surveillance capabilities. Despite these efforts, Iranian forces have continued to pose threats, with reports of American forces intercepting eight Iranian drones and two cruise missiles in a recent engagement.

The strategic Strait of Hormuz serves as a crucial route for global oil exports, and any disruptions significantly impact global energy supplies and oil prices. The ongoing US operations come at a time of heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran, following prolonged conflicts and stalled negotiations over a memorandum of understanding signed in June aimed at resolving the war.

Concurrent negotiations involving Iran and Oman over the navigation of the Strait of Hormuz have yet to yield a resolution, adding to the complexities of the geopolitical landscape in the region.