On Wednesday, President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. military has been secretly helping commercial ships travel through the Strait of Hormuz. This is the first time he has openly acknowledged that the U.S....
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. military has been secretly helping commercial ships travel through the Strait of Hormuz. This is the first time he has openly acknowledged that the U.S. has been actively involved in facilitating shipping through this crucial waterway, despite previous denials about starting formal escort operations.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump revealed that last month, he ordered the military to carry out a "secret mission" to assist oil tankers and other commercial vessels navigating the Strait.
He stated, "Today, I am pleased to announce that this effort has led to over 100 MILLION barrels of oil making its way through the Strait and into the open market. More than 200 commercial ships have safely passed through."
Trump also asserted, "The UNITED STATES of AMERICA CONTROLS the Strait of Hormuz — NOT Iran."
Last month, I directed our Great U.S. Military to execute a secret mission to support Oil Tankers and other Commercial Ships through the Strait of Hormuz. Today, I am pleased to announce that this effort has resulted in more than 100 MILLION Barrels of Oil making its way… pic.twitter.com/l7uESOUnny
— Commentary Donald J. Trump Truth Social Posts On X (@TrumpTruthOnX) June 10, 2026
These comments shed new light on U.S. military operations in the region and seem to clear up weeks of mixed messages from U.S. officials about the military's role in supporting commercial shipping.
This revelation comes after several months of severe disruptions to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, which started after tensions between the U.S. and Iran escalated earlier this year. This conflict severely impacted the usual flow of commercial traffic through a waterway that typically carries about 20% of the world's oil supplies.
In early May, the Trump administration introduced "Project Freedom," a controlled initiative aimed at helping distressed vessels leave the Persian Gulf through a secure route along Oman’s territorial waters. However, this operation was abruptly halted days later as talks with Iran progressed.
Since then, U.S. Central Command has repeatedly denied reports that military escort operations had resumed.
On May 26, CENTCOM publicly denied that U.S. naval forces were once again escorting merchant ships in the Strait. They stated, "Project Freedom has not been restarted, and U.S. forces are not currently escorting commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz."
However, reports from Bloomberg and other news outlets later indicated that the U.S. military was quietly working with commercial shipping interests, providing indirect support for certain transits.
Recent reports suggested that vessels traversing the Strait often traveled close to the coast of Oman, turned off their AIS transponders, reduced radio communications, and sometimes received military aid when faced with threats from Iranian forces.
The figures mentioned by Trump match other indicators suggesting that oil shipments in the region are slowly recovering.
Bloomberg reported on Wednesday that around 2 million barrels per day of oil and petroleum products are now being exported from the Gulf. While this is still below pre-war levels, it is significantly higher than during the peak of the disruptions. Satellite images have also shown an increase in ship-to-ship transfers off the coast of Oman involving cargoes from Gulf producers.
The president's statement implies that while Project Freedom is on hold and formal naval escorts have not resumed, the U.S. may have continued to assist commercial shipping through a parallel effort.
Neither the White House nor CENTCOM has provided more details on the nature of the operation, how vessels were selected for assistance, or how involved the U.S. military has been.
This discussion comes as scrutiny of U.S. maritime activities in the region increases due to reports of the first casualties among seafarers linked to enforcement actions related to blockades. Earlier Wednesday, it was reported that three crew members were still missing after U.S. forces disabled the tanker M/T Settebello in the Gulf of Oman.