40 tankers pass through Hormuz Strait via secret U.S. route
Approximately 40 tankers passed through the southern channel of the Strait of Hormuz in both directions on the night of August 22, according to Axios journalist Barak Ravid citing American officials.
Consensus
- Around 40 tankers passed through the Strait of Hormuz in both directions on the night of August 22.
- The passage occurred via a southern route along the coast of Oman and the UAE.
- Approximately 16 million barrels of oil were reportedly exported through the strait during that night.
- U.S. military has been operating a secret maritime corridor in the southern part of the Strait of Hormuz for several weeks.
- The U.S. military conducts daily operations with 15–20 tankers entering and exiting the strait each night.
- The operation was made possible after a two-week U.S. military campaign that disabled Iranian radar and maritime surveillance systems.
- The volume of oil being exported through this route is about half of the pre-war level.
Points of divergence
- Iran allowed several Iraqi oil tankers to pass through the strait following repeated requests from Baghdad. — vedomosti
- Bloomberg reports that Middle Eastern producers continue transporting large volumes of oil through the Strait of Hormuz via informal 'shadow' trade to stabilize global prices. — vedomosti
- The U.S. military operation was enabled by a two-week campaign that disabled Iranian surveillance systems. — interfax
- U.S. officials estimate that 10 million barrels of oil are exported daily through the route, which is about half of the pre-war volume. — interfax
- One U.S. official stated: 'The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps can create difficulties, but it does not control the strait. We are doing it.' — vedomosti
Coverage (3 sources)
- Axios: about 40 tankers passed through the Strait of Hormuz — Коммерсантъ
- Axios: up to 40 tankers managed to pass the Strait of Hormuz via the southern route — Ведомости
- At night on Saturday, 40 tankers managed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz — Интерфакс