The US military is monitoring secret oil transfers from ship to ship in the Persian Gulf, using a method similar to practices that Iran has used for years to circumvent sanctions, reports "Reuters".
The "ship-to-ship" technique has been used by Iran for years to circumvent sanctions because it masks the source of the oil. The US-led operation, which involves bulk transfers, gives Gulf producers better protection from Iranian retaliatory attacks so they can move crude oil, condensate and petroleum products to international buyers. The tankers are to sail to a rendezvous point before reaching the strait, then space their departures so they are about 3,000 to 4,000 metres apart, according to one of the sources, as well as satellite imagery. Their transponders are off and their lights dimmed, according to four sources.
A series of checkpoints allow the U.S. military to monitor the movements of the designated tankers, but the Americans are "obviously watching you the whole time," one of the sources said.
As they pass through the strait, just beyond an area that Iran has designated as under its control, the tankers approach the recipient ships, which are very large crude carriers, or VLCCs, to begin transferring oil. This takes between 24 and 40 hours. The empty tankers then return through the strait and the newly loaded VLCCs set sail.
Two main locations have been identified by sources familiar with the operation - off Fujairah in the UAE and off the port of Sohar in Oman. At least 92 ships were involved, according to shipping data and satellite imagery. As of June 11, 17 pairs of tankers were recorded making simultaneous transfers.
An Apache helicopter shot down by Iran on June 9 was linked to the mission, according to four sources, but Reuters could not confirm its role. A Pentagon official said U.S. forces from Central Command were not involved in the high-seas transfers.
Six sources with direct knowledge of the operation said the U.S. supported the participating ships through a combination of aerial surveillance, compliance checks and monitoring, rather than a naval escort. Reuters found no indication that U.S. troops were directly involved in the transfers themselves.
Satellite data shows that at least 90 million barrels of oil have passed through the strait since early May. Iran has not commented on the operation.
"With the old rules weakening, it is ironic that the United States is now following the example of China, Russia, North Korea, and even Iran, whose so-called "shadow fleets" pioneered these techniques precisely to evade U.S. and U.N. sanctions," wrote Michael Froman, president of the Council on Foreign Relations, on Friday.