The US president pointed to what he described as the successful passage of more than 200 commercial ships to argue that it is the United States, not Iran, that controls the strait.
The President of the United States, Donald Trump, announced this Wednesday that, last month, he instructed the US armed forces to “execute a secret mission” to support oil tankers and commercial vessels crossing the Strait of Hormuz, claiming that this operation allowed the passage of more than 100 million barrels of oil through this strategic sea lane.
“Last month, I ordered our great U.S. Armed Forces to execute a secret mission to support oil tankers and other commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“Today, I am pleased to announce that this effort has resulted in more than 100 MILLION barrels of oil passing through the strait and reaching the open market,” he added.
Trump pointed to what he described as the successful passage of more than 200 commercial ships to argue that it is the United States, not Iran, that controls the strait.
“More than 200 commercial ships have crossed the strait safely. This extraordinarily successful effort is possible because the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA CONTROLS the Strait of Hormuz — not Iran. Its military is defeated and its economy is ruined. It’s over for Iran!” he wrote.
Hours earlier, Trump had already made a reference to the operation, stating that this is the reason why oil prices have not soared to 250 dollars per barrel (around 215 euros, at current exchange rates).
“We are withdrawing millions — something I am announcing today for the first time — but we have been withdrawing millions of barrels of oil, millions of barrels every night combined,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “Millions of barrels of oil have come onto the market, which is why the price is at 85 or 90 dollars per barrel (about 73 to 77 euros) instead of 250 dollars (about 215 euros).”
Several theories have emerged to explain the relative calm of the oil market in the face of such a significant supply shock. One of them is that oil tankers transporting so-called “clandestine flows” may be circumventing the blockade by turning off their transponders (location and identification devices) to avoid being detected, experts previously explained to CNN.
