US military runs secret ship-to-ship oil transfers in Gulf of Oman to bypass Iranian blockade, investigation reveals
The United States military has overseen scores of covert ship-to-ship oil transfers near the Strait of Hormuz since early May, using drones and helicopters to guide convoys past Iranian restrictions, according to a Reuters investigation.
The operation
The United States military has coordinated a large-scale, clandestine ship-to-ship oil transfer operation on the edge of the Strait of Hormuz, employing a shuttling technique long used by Iran to evade sanctions. The operation began in early May and has involved at least 92 ships, according to shipping data and satellite imagery reviewed by Reuters. Eleven people familiar with the operation identified two primary transfer sites: one off the coast of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates and another near Oman's port of Sohar.
As recently as June 11, satellite images showed 17 pairs of vessels conducting simultaneous oil transfers at the two locations. Convoys navigate with transponders switched off and lights dimmed, monitored by aerial and water drones as well as US military helicopters. Smaller tankers shuttle crude through the Strait of Hormuz, then transfer their cargo to waiting VLCC supertankers in operations lasting 24 to 40 hours.
The downed Apache
An Apache helicopter shot down by Iran on June 9, an incident that triggered US retaliatory bombings, was involved in the mission, according to four sources including a former US official with knowledge of the attack. Satellite imagery reviewed by Reuters showed six pairs of tanker ships clustered in a small area off Sohar on the day the Apache was downed. Reuters could not confirm what specific role the Apache played. A US defense official stated that no Central Command forces are taking part in an offshore ship-to-ship oil transfer operation. Both crew members were rescued by a drone boat, US officials said.
No Central Command forces are taking part in an offshore ship-to-ship oil transfer operation.
Iranian exports resume
After nearly two months with virtually no Iranian oil exports, monitoring platform TankerTrackers reported that at least two VLCC supertankers belonging to the National Iranian Tanker Company, DIONA and HERO2, have left the area under US Navy surveillance, carrying a combined 3.8 million barrels of Iranian crude. A third NITC vessel subsequently departed the same zone with an additional one million barrels.
At least two NITC VLCC supertankers, named DIONA (9569695) and HERO2 (9362073), have exited the US Navy blockade perimeter, carrying a combined total of 3.8 million barrels of Iranian crude oil.
Scale and participants
Reuters estimates that at least 90 million barrels of crude and petroleum products have been moved through this network since early May. That volume remains small compared to the roughly 20 million barrels per day that transited the Strait of Hormuz before the conflict. Active participants include the UAE's national oil company ADNOC and Kuwait Oil Tanker Company. Some of the oil transferred off Oman was subsequently shipped to China.
- US military begins covert ship-to-ship oil transfer operation near Strait of Hormuz
- Iran downs US Apache helicopter involved in the transfer mission; US launches retaliatory bombings
- Satellite imagery shows 17 pairs of vessels conducting simultaneous transfers at both sites
- TankerTrackers reports three Iranian supertankers exit US Navy blockade perimeter with 4.8 million barrels
Risk and context
The transfer sites lie close to boundaries drawn by the Persian Gulf Strait Authority, a new Iranian body established to manage the Strait of Hormuz. Ships that fail to comply with Iran's orders face drone and missile attacks from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The Fujairah port has come under repeated Iranian fire during the operation. Last weekend, British maritime risk management group Vanguard reported an "unknown projectile" striking a tanker off the coast of Oman. Maritime security experts warn the system is risky: vessels often sail at night without electronic signals and with lights off, increasing the danger of collisions and Iranian drone or fast-boat attacks.
An unknown projectile struck a tanker off the coast of Oman.
The operation emerged after Iran effectively restricted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz following the war with the United States and Israel, causing what Reuters describes as the largest disruption to global energy supply in history and fuelling inflation worldwide. President Donald Trump recently announced a peace deal with Iran and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, though details remain limited.
