US Military Adopts Iran's 'Gray Shipping' Model, Possibly Transporting Nearly 90 Million Barrels of

On June 17, a Reuters investigation reported that amid tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and the impact of Iran's blockade, the US military is suspected of establishing an unconventional ship-to-ship (STS) crude oil transfer network to maintain energy export routes in the Gulf region. The report cites multiple informed sources stating that this operation began in early May 2026, involving at least 116 tankers that may have cumulatively transferred around 90 million barrels of crude oil and petroleum products, primarily operating in offshore areas near Fujairah in the UAE and Sohar Port in Oman. Satellite imagery shows a recent increase in tanker activity in the region, with multiple groups of vessels operating simultaneously at times. Sources indicate that the relevant vessels turn off their AIS transponders and reduce visible signals when entering sensitive waters to evade tracking, closely resembling the sanctions-evading shipping methods long used by Iran. The report notes that this system relies on US coordination, scheduling, and monitoring support, including drones, helicopters, and maritime surveillance resources, but it has not confirmed direct US military involvement in loading and unloading operations. The US Department of Defense responded that Central Command forces are not involved in near-shore STS transfer operations. Meanwhile, the security situation in the Gulf remains tense during the operation of this transport network, with incidents of unidentified weapons attacking tankers in the Gulf of Oman, and tanker operations in some areas reaching peak levels at times. Analysts believe that this energy transportation method, which relies on temporary transfers and covert scheduling, exhibits clear 'gray shipping' characteristics, being less efficient than normal transit through the Strait but serving as an alternative to maintain global crude oil flow amid geopolitical conflicts. Reuters estimates that the scale of this system's transfers is still significantly lower than the pre-war daily throughput of about 20 million barrels in the Strait of Hormuz, being viewed more as an emergency supplement mechanism rather than a long-term solution.