— Fars News Agency rejects claims of a secret unloading and dredging operation led by the United States to create a new tanker shipping corridor on the Omani side of the Strait of Hormuz.

Satellite images from July 11 show that this route had been used before recent escalations, undermining reports about a new channel. Geological assessments indicate that the seabed’s structure and depth make any hidden dredging and unloading financially and operationally impossible — Farsna.

Satellite tracking found no continuous traffic by tanker vessels with a capacity of several million barrels that could support an operationally viable strategic detour.

The vessel in question is an LR1-class tanker, not a VLCC. Maritime operators are likely to use an existing route with precise navigation and ship guidance, rather than a “secretly dredged” corridor.