Downed US Apache helicopter in Strait of Hormuz was involved in secret oil operation: report
A US Apache helicopter, shot down by Iran on June 9 and prompting retaliatory bombings from the United States, was reportedly involved in a clandestine ship-to-ship oil transfer operation designed to maintain the flow of Gulf energy exports.
This intricate operation used aerial and water drones, along with helicopters, to guide convoys to awaiting tankers, according to four sources, including a former U.S. official with direct knowledge of the incident. Satellite imagery reviewed by Reuters revealed six pairs of tanker ships clustered in a small area off Oman’s port of Sohar on the day the Apache was downed.
While Reuters could not independently confirm the Apache’s specific role, a U.S. defense official, responding to inquiries, stated that no Central Command forces are participating in an offshore ship-to-ship oil transfer operation. Both crew members of the downed helicopter were rescued by a drone boat, U.S. officials confirmed.
The operation, situated on the periphery of the Strait of Hormuz, employs a shuttling technique long utilized by Iran to circumvent sanctions.
Eleven individuals familiar with the initiative identified two primary locations for these oil transfers: one off the coast of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates and another near Oman’s port of Sohar. Commencing in early May, the transfers have involved at least 92 ships, according to shipping data and satellite imagery reviewed by Reuters.
As recently as June 11, satellite images showed 17 pairs of vessels conducting simultaneous oil transfers at these two sites. The full scope of these transfers, their operational mechanics, and the Apache’s involvement had not been previously reported. The White House directed questions to Centcom, while the Iranian government did not respond to requests for comment regarding the transfer operation.
These two transfer points, located in the Gulf of Oman near the Strait of Hormuz exit, lie close to boundaries established by the Persian Gulf Strait Authority, a new Iranian entity tasked with managing the Strait of Hormuz.
Vessels failing to comply with Iran’s directives face the risk of drone and missile attacks from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The Fujairah port itself has endured repeated Iranian fire during the period this US-led operation has been active. Just last weekend, the British maritime risk management group Vanguard reported an “unknown projectile” striking a tanker off the coast of Oman.
Vanguard stated the crew was safe, and while the impact caused some cargo leakage, no environmental damage occurred. It did not specify if the tanker was part of a ship-to-ship transfer.
Iran’s response to the US-Israeli war effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway through which approximately one-fifth of global oil consumption typically passes. This closure triggered the largest global energy supply disruption in history, fueling inflation worldwide.
The ship-to-ship transfers, despite being risky and inefficient, appear to be part of the Trump administration’s efforts to help restore normal oil flows from the Gulf.
President Donald Trump announced this week that the Strait of Hormuz would reopen Friday under a framework peace deal with Iran, though details remain vague. Reuters could not ascertain whether the announced deal had impacted the oil transfers.
A Reuters investigation published on May 20 previously detailed Iran’s own system for guiding ships through the opposite side of the Strait, involving island checkpoints, diplomatic agreements, and sometimes fees.
The American transfer operations are under the full control of the U.S. military, according to eight sources, including a private security contractor involved in the transfers. Tankers must navigate to a designated meeting point before reaching the strait, then stagger their departures, maintaining distances of 3,000 to 4,000 meters, as confirmed by one source and satellite imagery.
