Overview
- A Reuters investigation published Tuesday, June 16, found a clandestine program that began in early May and used paired tanker transfers to move roughly 90 million barrels of oil with about 92 ships involved.
- The transfers were concentrated off Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates and off Sohar in Oman and copied Iran’s ‘shuttling’ tactics by turning off transponders, dimming lights, staggering departures, and loading Very Large Crude Carriers in 24–40 hour operations.
- Sources told Reuters that helicopters and aerial and surface drones shepherded convoys and that a U.S. Army Apache helicopter shot down on June 9 was linked to those missions, while a U.S. defense official told Reuters CENTCOM forces did not take part in transfers.
- Reporting shows the operations continued even after a framework deal was announced to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, creating ongoing collision, attack and insurance risks for sailors and commercial shippers.
- The disclosures underscore a covert layer of U.S.–Iran confrontation that complicates transparency for global energy markets and leaves open questions about oversight, legal authority and the safety of crews and vessels as investigations and diplomatic reactions proceed.