US military quietly establishes shipping corridor through Strait of Hormuz
WASHINGTON: The US military has quietly established a shipping corridor through the Strait of Hormuz to facilitate the movement of millions of barrels of oil a day, according to Axios, citing two US officials.
The operation, which has been underway for several weeks despite a broader pause in fighting, is being described by officials as a significant achievement in maintaining global energy supplies.
According to Axios, between 15 and 20 oil tankers enter or leave the Strait of Hormuz each night through a southern channel along the coast of Oman. Officials estimate that about 10 million barrels of oil a day roughly half the prewar volume are currently being moved safely through the waterway and into global energy markets.
The operation extends beyond escorting loaded oil tankers out of the Strait. U.S. forces are also helping empty tankers travel from the Arabian Sea through the strait into the Gulf, load oil in regional countries and safely return through the waterway.
A U.S. official familiar with the operation told Axios that American forces have controlled the southern shipping lane for about two months. The official said Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps could disrupt traffic but does not control the strait.
The task force overseeing the operation is based at an Army headquarters at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and remains in regular contact with Gulf partners, according to the report.
Nighttime Convoys Receive Air Protection
The task force prepares daily lists of vessels and schedules them to pass through the waterway in large nighttime convoys. U.S. fighter aircraft provide air protection against Iranian cruise missiles and drones during the transit.
Officials said the operation became possible after a two-week U.S. Central Command military campaign severely damaged Iran’s radar and maritime surveillance systems.
The damage has significantly reduced Iran’s ability to monitor maritime traffic in the southern channel, according to Axios. Iranian forces are reportedly launching drones and cruise missiles based largely on estimates of where ships are expected to travel.
Some vessels have been hit in Iranian attacks, but U.S. forces have intercepted most of the incoming threats, officials said.
The continued flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz is particularly important to global energy markets because the waterway is one of the world’s most critical routes for crude oil shipments.