U.S. establishes secret shipping route in the Strait of Hormuz, exports 10 million barrels of oil daily

ME News reports that on August 20 (UTC+8), two U.S. officials told Axios that the U.S. military has quietly established a shipping lane in and out of the Strait of Hormuz, transporting millions of barrels of oil daily. Despite the broader conflict remaining deadlocked, this operation has achieved significant results. The initiative has been underway for several weeks, with 15 to 20 tankers now using the southern route along Oman’s coast to transit the Strait of Hormuz. Officials stated that approximately 10 million barrels of oil are being shipped out of the strait daily and entering the global energy market—though this figure is roughly half the pre-war volume. Led by the United States, this operation is alleviating one of the most severe impacts of the conflict: disruptions to oil supplies, which had driven crude prices sharply higher. Officials noted that although oil transit through the strait remains below pre-war levels, it has already made a noticeable impact on global oil supply. (Source: BlockBeats)