US President Donald Trump said the US military has been helping oil tankers and commercial vessels pass through the Strait of Hormuz in what he described as a "secret mission" to keep the key shipping lane open, while tensions with Iran and military activity in the region continue to escalate.
Trump said on his Truth Social platform that he ordered the operation last month and claimed it had enabled more than 100 million barrels of oil to pass through the key waterway and reach global markets, without providing details.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), an average of 20 million barrels of crude oil and oil products were transported through the strait per day last year.
Trump also said more than 200 commercial ships had safely transited the strait, though the claims could not be independently verified.
"This wildly successful effort is because the UNITED STATES of AMERICA CONTROLS the Strait of Hormuz — NOT Iran," he wrote.
Earlier, the US president had spoken vaguely about the operation in front of reporters at the White House and said he was now discussing it because Iran had found out.
Vessels reportedly passed Hormuz with transponders off
The New York Times previously reported, citing US officials, that US forces in recent weeks had helped coordinate the passage of dozens of vessels through the strait, many of which reportedly switched off their transponders to avoid detection.
Iran's armed forces shortly after the start of the war in late February largely halted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz through threats, inspections and attacks on vessels, effectively asserting control over the key export route.
The United States responded with a blockade of Iranian ports to prevent the country from exporting oil.
Just hours after Trump's post, Iran announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz following fresh US strikes on targets in the country, banning all vessel traffic and warning that ships attempting to pass would be attacked. Iranian state media then reported that two ships had come under fire.
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world's most important energy transit routes, carrying a significant share of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies.
