US President Donald Trump alleged that the US military has been carrying out a secret mission to support oil tankers and commercial ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump said that as a result of this effort, more than 100 million barrels of oil passed through the strait and reached the market. He also claimed that over 200 commercial vessels made safe passages.
In his statement, Trump asserted that the Strait of Hormuz is under US control, not Iran's, and claimed that the Iranian military has been defeated and its economy has collapsed. He declared that everything is over for Iran.
Claims of Oil Export and Ship Passage from the Oval Office
In remarks to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump also claimed that millions of barrels of oil were extracted from Iran without anyone knowing.
He said that they moved 22 ships out of the region with the lights off, which was made possible by disabling radar systems.
Trump argued that one reason the barrel price of oil is $85 is because of this operation.
The Strait of Hormuz is known as one of the critical routes for global energy transportation. Therefore, security and shipment flow in the strait are closely monitored by the global oil market.