The U.S. military has adopted Iran's "gray shipping" model and may have transferred nearly 90 million barrels of Gulf crude oil.

BlockBeats News, June 17 — According to a Reuters investigation, amid tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and the impact of Iran's blockade, the U.S. military is suspected of establishing a covert ship-to-ship (STS) crude oil transfer network to maintain energy export channels in the Gulf region.

The report cites multiple sources familiar with the matter, stating that the operation began in early May 2026, involving at least 116 oil tankers, with a total transfer capacity of approximately 90 million barrels of crude oil and petroleum products. The main operational areas are located off the coast of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates and near the port of Sohar in Oman.

Satellite images show recent dense docking and transfer activities in the region, with some periods involving more than ten ships operating simultaneously. Sources say that these vessels turn off their AIS transponders and reduce visible signals when entering sensitive waters to avoid tracking, which is highly similar to Iran’s long-standing methods of evading sanctions shipping.

The report notes that this system relies on U.S. coordination, dispatch, and monitoring support, including drones, helicopters, and maritime surveillance resources, but it has not been confirmed that the U.S. military is directly involved in loading and unloading operations. The U.S. Department of Defense responded that Central Command forces are not involved in offshore STS transfer operations.

Meanwhile, the security situation in the Gulf remains tense during the operation of this transportation network, with unexplained weapons attacks on oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman, and some areas experiencing peak tanker activity.

Analysts believe that this energy transportation method, which relies on temporary transfers and covert dispatching, exhibits clear "gray shipping" characteristics. It is less efficient than normal strait transit but has become an alternative to maintain global crude oil flow amid geopolitical conflicts.

Reuters estimates that the scale of this transfer system remains significantly below the pre-war daily throughput of about 20 million barrels in the Strait of Hormuz, and is more viewed as an emergency supplement rather than a long-term solution.