President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House, June 10, 2026, in Washington. Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Photo
Shortly after President Donald Trump stated in the Oval Office on Wednesday that the United States had been covertly escorting “millions of barrels” of oil through the Strait of Hormuz, Trump revealed on social media that “over 100 MILLION Barrels of Oil” and “more than 200 Commercial Ships” had successfully navigated the passage.
“Last month, I instructed our Esteemed U.S. Military to undertake a covert operation to support Oil Tankers and other Commercial Ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump posted on his social media platform.
President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House, June 10, 2026, in Washington.Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Photo
“Today, I am delighted to report that this initiative has facilitated the passage of over 100 MILLION Barrels of Oil, making their way to the Open Market. More than 200 Commercial Ships have safely traversed the Strait.”
The president characterized it as a “secret mission” that he claims was carried out last month amidst the ongoing conflict with Iran, which has led to the strait being closed to normal commercial traffic.
ABC News was unable to immediately confirm the veracity of Trump’s assertions and the figures regarding oil barrels and vessels he states have passed through the Strait of Hormuz.
Earlier on Wednesday, from the Oval Office, Trump hinted at apparent U.S. operations to facilitate shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, with Trump asserting that the U.S. had recently “moved” 22 ships, carrying millions of barrels of oil, through the strait.
“Did you know, we’ve been moving millions of barrels of oil? Nobody is aware of it. You know who isn’t aware of it? Iran, until this very moment. We moved out the other night 22 ships late at night with no lights, because they lack any radar, due to our extensive bombardment of it,” Trump stated.
President Donald Trump speaks during a signing ceremony for the “Secure America Act” in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, June 10, 2026.Ken Cedeno/AFP via Getty Images
In his post on Wednesday afternoon, Trump described the purported operation as a “tremendously successful endeavor” attributed to the U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
“This incredibly successful effort is a result of the UNITED STATES of AMERICA COMMANDING the Strait of Hormuz — Not Iran,” Trump wrote.
Since last month, there have been reports of the U.S. Navy assisting vessels in navigating the Strait of Hormuz — although U.S. officials have indicated that these efforts did not represent a resurgence of Project Freedom, the brief U.S. military initiative aimed at escorting commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. Trump had announced Project Freedom in early May, only to suspend the initiative two days later.
Instead, this most recent operation involved coordination, where shipping companies could contact U.S. Central Command and subsequently receive guidance on transit routes through the Strait of Hormuz, according to a U.S. official.
This coordination effort was initially reported by The New York Times.
ABC News corroborated the Times’ report that, as of late last month, approximately 70 commercial vessels had been guided through the strait. In addition to the U.S. facilitating secure passage, the Times indicated that many of the ships traversing the strait had deactivated their transponders to “evade detection.”
During the Oval Office event earlier on Wednesday afternoon, Trump had also suggested that he was choosing to disclose this “confidential” mission at this time because the Iranians had “discovered it.”
“But now I’m going to inform you, because they’ve just figured it out. So now that they’ve figured it out, I can tell you it was extremely difficult for me. I wanted to mention it so badly, but it was. I didn’t want to compromise it, but it was very challenging,” Trump remarked.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com