Photo: Alamy
President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the United States has quietly overseen the movement of millions of barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz during the ongoing conflict with Iran, arguing the operation helped prevent a major spike in global energy prices.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, the president claimed U.S. operations had been removing “millions of barrels” of oil from the region without public disclosure.
“We’ve been taking out millions of barrels of oil. Nobody knows it,” he said. “We’ve been taking out millions of barrels of oil, millions of barrels every night.”
The president said U.S. forces recently facilitated the movement of 22 ships carrying oil through the strategic waterway, adding the vessels traveled at night without lights.
“We took out the other night 22 ships late at night with no lights because they don’t have any radar,” President Trump said. “Because we blasted the crap out of it.”
President Trump appeared to reference recent U.S. strikes targeting Iranian radar and surveillance systems near the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route that handles a significant share of the world’s oil supply. The president also said more than 200 commercial vessels have safely passed through the strait during the conflict.
He argued the operation helped stabilize global oil markets despite tensions in the region.
“That’s why oil is $85 a barrel,” the president said. “Millions of barrels of oil has come out, and that’s why it’s at $85, $90 a barrel instead of $250.”
The president said he avoided discussing the effort publicly because he feared disclosure could undermine the operation.
“It was very hard for me. I wanted to say it so badly, but I didn’t want to ruin it,” Trump said. “Now that they figured it out, I can tell you.”
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most strategically important waterways, serving as a major transit route for global oil shipments amid continued tensions between the United States and Iran.
