Trump says secret US military operation moved over 100 million barrels of oil through Strait of Hormuz

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the American military had been secretly conducting operations since last month to help civilian ships pass through the Strait of Hormuz, claiming the effort had allowed a vast volume of crude oil to reach global markets.

Trump posted on his Truth Social account that he had ordered "our great military to conduct a secret operation supporting oil tankers and other commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz" last month. "Today, I am pleased to announce that as a result of this effort, over 100 million barrels of oil have passed through the strait and been supplied to open markets," he wrote, adding that more than 200 commercial vessels had safely made the transit.

He went on to say the operation had succeeded "because it is the United States, not Iran, that controls the Strait of Hormuz," and declared that Iran's military had been defeated and its economy had collapsed. "Iran is finished," he said.

The remarks suggest Trump had been quietly continuing what he called "Project Freedom" even after publicly suspending it. Trump announced on May 4 that the United States would help vessels stranded in the strait pass through safely, only to say the following day, May 5, that he was halting Project Freedom after negotiations with Iran showed signs of progress.

Publicly, Trump had taken the position that he would not pursue Project Freedom — which would undermine Iran's most powerful leverage, its control over the strait — while negotiations were ongoing. Behind the scenes, however, the US military continued escorting ships through the waterway.

Trump also mentioned the operation at a White House event Wednesday, saying, "We have been pulling out millions of barrels of oil every night. Today is the first time I'm announcing this." He argued that US military support for Hormuz transits had kept oil prices at $85 to $90 a barrel rather than $250, adding, "When the war ends, prices will plummet."

Energy Secretary Chris Wright also said at a public event Tuesday that the number of vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz was increasing "very significantly." Wright offered a cautious outlook, however, saying it could take several months for oil prices to normalize.

Meanwhile, Iran has continued its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz independently of the US escort operations, and has recently moved to keep collecting transit fees from ships — rebranding the charges as a "service fee" in name only. The US military, for its part, has maintained a counter-blockade, barring all vessels from entering or leaving Iranian ports.