Amid the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the Trump administration launched a highly secretive "Dark Fleet" operation, stealing Iran's own ancient and sophisticated smuggling techniques, to safely extract oil from Gulf countries. This secret ship-to-ship oil transfer network, operated by the US military off the coast of Sohar in Oman and Fujairah in the UAE, has so far involved more than 92 ships, extracting approximately 90 million barrels of crude oil. The Apache was martyred in this operation.

Washington: Trump may have begun to end the war with Iran, but he has already caused as much damage as he could. The world witnessed the destruction caused by missiles and drones, but Trump did not spare Iranian oil. Trump secretly stole Iranian oil under the cover of the Hormuz blockade. He admitted this a few days ago, but now it has come to light how Trump carried out this theft. This trickery of Trump's resulted in the downing of his Apache helicopter. To carry out this oil theft, Trump used Iran's own old and clever smuggling technique, which had allowed Iran to defy US sanctions for years.

US 'Dark Fleet' operation in the waters of Oman and UAE

According to Reuters, the US military has been conducting a highly secretive ship-to-ship oil transfer operation in the Gulf of Mexico since early May 2026. The US has also involved Oman and the UAE in this operation. According to satellite imagery and intelligence sources, this entire operation is being conducted at two highly specialized locations.

1. First destination: Fujairah beach in the United Arab Emirates.
2. Second destination: Oman's very important 'Sohar' port.

Iran has established a new organization called the "Persian Gulf Strait Authority" at the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz and has taken control of the entire area. Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) directly attacks ships that disobey its orders with drones and missiles. To avoid this threat, the US secretly initiated the oil game by inviting ships from the UAE's state-owned oil company, ADNOC, and the Kuwait Oil Tanker Company to the coasts of Oman and Fujairah.

So this is why the American Apache helicopter was martyred!

Related news'Iran attacked Indian ships', Trump backtracked when India showed its strengthIran responds to Shahbaz Sharif's claim that the deal will not be signed now.Iran to receive $300 billion in oil sales, two Iranian tankers foundTrump becomes richer amid Iran war, entire family benefits greatly

On June 9, 2026, Iran shot down a highly advanced US Apache helicopter, prompting the US to retaliate by bombing Iran. At the time, the world was unaware of the real reason. Now, four top defense sources and a former US official have revealed that the Apache helicopter was not on a routine patrol, but was deployed to protect this secret oil theft and transfer mission.

On the same day Iran shot down an American Apache, satellite images showed six pairs of giant oil tankers stuck together near the Oman port of Sohar. Although US defense officials are shying away from acknowledging this on camera, claiming their Centcom force is not directly involved in any such activity, the truth is that aerial drones, water drones, and Apache helicopters flying over the sea were guiding those secret convoys. Fortunately, both Apache crew members were rescued in time by an American drone boat.

Lights out, transponders off… a terrifying midnight game at sea

This operation was so dangerous and secret that it was completely controlled by the US military. A truly terrifying and cunning method was employed to play this game.

• Lights off and transponders off: Oil tankers heading towards Hormuz switch off all their lights and completely turn off the transponders that indicate the ships' location so that Iranian radars cannot detect them.
• Distance and Timing: After reaching a fixed meeting point, these ships maintain a distance of exactly 3,000 to 4,000 meters from each other.
• A 30- to 40-hour danger zone: As these ships exit Iranian-controlled territory, they pull up next to the world's largest oil tankers, VLCCs, already moored there. Oil is then transferred from one ship to another for 24 to 40 hours amid the turbulent seas.

How much oil did Trump steal from Iran?

According to a Reuter’s investigation, as of June 11th, approximately 17 pairs of ships were simultaneously engaged in this dangerous operation, and since May, at least 92 ships have been part of this secret network. The US has so far extracted more than 90 million barrels of crude oil through this illegal route. While this figure is small compared to the 20 million barrels that passed daily before the war, the Trump administration is using it to maintain global oil supplies and curb inflation.

America took a huge risk

Maritime security experts say this isn't a permanent solution, but rather a highly risky maneuver devised in the midst of war. Without lights and radar, these massive ships, sailing in the dark of night, pose a significant risk of collision. For the Trump administration, maintaining control over Gulf oil is more important than regulations, even if it means resorting to "pirate" tactics like Iran.

 PC: Hindi News 18