In a live televised address from the Oval Office on June 10, 2026, US President Donald Trump asserted that Washington had covertly transported millions of barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz, defying Iranian restrictions and helping to drive oil prices down to around $90 per barrel, rather than above $100 as seen during the early phase of the US-Israel war targeting Tehran.
Trump’s claim has drawn widespread skepticism, as maritime shipping and tanker tracking data show the actual volume of crude oil moved through the strait since March is far below 100 million barrels.
According to Al Jazeera, before the conflict erupted, the Strait of Hormuz saw an average of 140 vessels—including oil tankers—transiting daily, carrying about 20 million barrels of oil per day. The 100-million-barrel figure cited by Trump would equate to five days of pre-war traffic, or roughly 700 ships. However, international ship-tracking firms have recorded only between 80 (Windward), 142 (Lloyd’s List), and 264 (Kpler) vessels passing through the strait since March—far fewer than needed to transport 100 million barrels.
Moreover, many of those vessels moved with Iran’s permission—paying fees to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)—rather than as a result of any secret US operation. While Trump claimed US ships had turned off their transponders to slip through, experts say the evidence remains unconvincing.
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright testified before Congress the same day that he was unaware of any US shipment of millions of barrels through the strait, though he acknowledged that the US military had assisted some non-Iranian vessels. CENTCOM spokesman Tim Hawkins said US forces “communicate and coordinate” with commercial ships in the region but offered no specifics.
On control of the strait, Iran insists the Strait of Hormuz lies within shared waters between Tehran and Oman, not international waters. The IRGC maintains tight control over the passage after the US imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports. Tehran has implemented an insurance fee policy for ships wishing to transit, accepting payment in Chinese yuan from countries such as Pakistan, India, and Russia. However, paying Iran carries legal and sanctions risks for many shipowners.
Marine insurance expert Oscar Seikaly of NSI Insurance Group in Florida noted that, over the long term, paying Iran’s fees is cheaper than having a vessel stuck in the strait, given that the cost of a very large crude carrier (VLCC) reaches $100,000 per day and a 100-day delay would run up $10 million, not including financing, insurance, crew costs, and contract penalties. Nonetheless, the option faces obstacles from sanctions and reputational risk.
In summary, Trump’s claim that the US secretly shipped 100 million barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz lacks support from actual data, even though the US may have assisted some non-Iranian commercial vessels in traversing the tense waterway.
