Donald Trump: 22 ships, no lights: Trump says Iran didn’t know about ‘secret mission’ in Hormuz
President of the United States Donald Trump The United States secretly facilitated the movement of millions of barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz without Iran’s knowledge, it claimed on Wednesday, describing it as a covert operation that Tehran was unaware of until now.Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that the United States has quietly moved large amounts of oil by guiding ships through the strategically important waterway.“I can tell it now. Things you don’t know,” Trump said. “Did you know we’ve pumped out millions of barrels of oil? No one knew. Do you know who didn’t know about it? Iran — until now.”He further claimed that 22 ships were moved overnight without lights and beyond the range of Iran’s detection capabilities.According to the New York Times, Trump claimed that the “secret mission” he authorized last month had resulted in more than 100 million barrels of oil entering the open market. The claim could not immediately be independently confirmed.However, a senior U.S. military official later said Trump was referring to U.S. efforts to escort commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz and not previously undisclosed operations.The official said the U.S. military has been helping commercial ships navigate the narrow waterway while minimizing the risk of attack. The ships reportedly turned off their transponders for part of the voyage to reduce the chance of detection.The operation has been publicly reported. Last month, media reported that U.S. Central Command facilitated the passage of about 70 commercial ships through the strait. In just over a month, that number has grown to more than 200 ships, according to military officials.U.S. authorities have not revealed the type of vessel involved or the exact route used. However, officials said some crossings were along routes closer to the Omani coast rather than closer to Iran, where Iranian ships face a higher risk of drone or missile attacks.Late on Wednesday, Trump claimed on social media that the operation helped deliver more than 100 million barrels of oil to global markets. The figure could not be independently verified.
What do you think of the U.S. escorting merchant ships through the Strait of Hormuz?
