Downed US Apache helicopter linked to secret oil transfer operation near Strait of Hormuz

Key Points:

• A US Apache helicopter shot down by Iran on June 9 was reportedly involved in a covert ship-to-ship oil transfer operation aimed at maintaining Gulf energy exports amid the Strait of Hormuz closure.
• The operation, controlled by the US military, uses drones and helicopters to guide tankers through two main transfer points near Oman and the UAE, facilitating at least 92 ship transfers since early May despite Iranian risks.
• Tankers involved deactivate transponders and dim lights to avoid detection, while the US monitors their progress remotely; the transfers enable Gulf producers to bypass Iranian blockades and sanctions, moving significant oil volumes internationally.
• This clandestine method carries heightened risks of collision and Iranian attacks, with operators undergoing stringent compliance reviews and maintaining contact with the US Navy’s office in Bahrain during voyages.
• Emirati and Kuwaiti state-owned companies are major participants in the operation, which is seen as a temporary and risky workaround to the energy supply disruptions caused by Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz.