‏🚨 Axios, on Wednesday, 28 Mordad, citing two U.S. officials, reported that the U.S. Army has, over the past several weeks, created a route for the entry and exit of oil tankers from the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 10 million barrels of oil per day—nearly half of the pre-war volume—are being supplied to the global market.

‏According to this report, each night between 15 and 20 oil tankers transit through the southern route of the Strait of Hormuz, along the coasts of Oman. In addition to directing oil-laden tankers, the U.S. military also coordinates the entry of empty tankers from the Arabian Sea into the Persian Gulf, their loading in regional countries, and their subsequent departure from the Strait. U.S. Air Force fighter jets are also responsible for protecting this route against Iranian cruise missiles and drones.

‏One U.S. official told Axios that the United States has been controlling the southern route of the Strait of Hormuz for two months, and that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps does not have control over this waterway despite creating “disruptions.” According to U.S. officials, on some nights in recent weeks, between 15 and 20 million barrels of oil have been exported from the Persian Gulf, and U.S. forces earlier this week shot down eight Iranian drones and two Iranian cruise missiles.

‏U.S. President Donald Trump, on Wednesday, also told Axios that a significant volume of oil is being exported from the Strait of Hormuz and described negotiations with Iran under current conditions as a “waste of time.”