The US has been quietly escorting millions of barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz in a stealth operation that analysts credit with keeping global energy markets from spiraling further.
The missions, which began in May, successfully protected tankers carrying roughly 5 million barrels of oil daily throughout July by operating near the Omani coast, according to reports. Windward shipping analyst Michelle Wiese Bockmann said that the US military has been “extraordinarily effective in keeping that southern corridor operating, despite the attacks.”
The operation kicked off with approximately 70 ships crossing in the first three weeks of May, many employing shadow fleet tactics such as disabling radar systems to avoid detection. The vessels continued moving regularly through June and July even as Iran, which claims sovereignty over the strait, launched repeated attacks on commercial shipping.
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright offered a higher estimate than other sources, claiming that 9 million barrels of oil were passing through Hormuz daily with American assistance. US Central Command, which oversees the protection missions, has helped more than 1,000 ships cross the strait since hostilities began, according to its own accounting.
The stealth corridor has carried significant military and human costs. The US has been forced to deploy warships, helicopters and aircraft to intercept Iranian attacks, expenditures that far exceed what Tehran spends on its cheaper suicide drone strikes. The interceptions have proven imperfect, with at least 15 ships damaged by Iranian fire since June, according to the United Nations’ International Maritime Organization.
The violence has killed three seafarers and left another 16 injured, with the most recent fatal attack occurring on Tuesday, the UK Maritime Trade Operations reported. The persistent danger has left many commercial operators unwilling to risk the passage, with approximately two-thirds of pre-war oil flow still blocked by Iran’s campaign.
Despite the partial success of the escort missions, oil markets remain volatile. Brent crude spiked to $93 per barrel on Wednesday after negotiations between Washington and Tehran broke down, though prices remain below the triple-digit peaks seen during the opening months of the war.
In the viral moment that preceded the current operation, Iran effectively froze traffic through the Strait of Hormuz after hostilities erupted in late February, with Tehran asserting control over the waterway that handles roughly one-fifth of global daily oil production. President Donald Trump had claimed the route was reopened and that Washington had the situation under control, but shipping data showed transit remained severely restricted. The International Energy Agency warned that restoring normal tanker traffic had become critically necessary as countries rapidly depleted their oil reserves.
The strait’s closure had threatened to trigger sustained price surges, with limited alternative routes available for Saudi, Iraqi and Kuwaiti exports. US officials had anticipated rising oil and gas prices until transit volumes normalized, making the stealth escort operation a priority for the Biden administration’s energy security planning.
US Central Command continues coordinating the protection missions as commercial operators weigh the risks of Hormuz transit against the premiums commanded for deliveries from the Persian Gulf.