US Military Runs Nightly Stealth Convoy Moving 10 Million Barrels Daily Through Strait of Hormuz

The US military has run a nightly shipping corridor through the Strait of Hormuz for several weeks, moving 15 to 20 tankers a night along a southern channel off Oman, according to two unnamed US officials cited by Axios 1. The officials said daily exports now approach 10 million barrels, roughly half the pre-war volume, with some nights reaching 15 million to 20 million barrels, and credited the corridor to a two-week US Central Command campaign that degraded Iranian radar and surveillance 1. US forces shot down eight Iranian drones and two cruise missiles targeting tankers earlier this week, the officials said, and Trump told Axios "a tremendous amount of oil" is exiting the strait while Washington is not negotiating with Iran 1. Separately, Kpler shipping data cited by Reuters showed only six to nine vessel crossings Monday and Tuesday, below the recent daily average, though some vessels may transit with transponders off and go uncounted 2. A Fort Bragg-based task force coordinates nightly transit scheduling with Gulf partners while US Air Force fighters escort the tankers, and officials acknowledged Iran, now reduced to scattered radars and patrol boats firing toward general suspected shipping lanes, has still struck some vessels despite the intercepts 1.