U.S. military runs covert ship-to-ship oil transfers in Gulf to bypass Iran’s Strait of Hormuz blockade

The U.S. military has carried out covert ship-to-ship crude transfers in the Gulf of Oman and near Fujairah in the UAE to bypass an Iranian blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. Satellite imagery showed 17 pairs of vessels conducting simultaneous transfers at the two locations, according to Reuters. A U.S. Apache helicopter involved in the operation was reportedly downed by Iran. The effort, overseen by the U.S. military and involving Emirati and Kuwaiti companies, aims to keep global crude supplies flowing and limit disruption risks.