That would be cool if true but let's see what grok has to say about this channel.
No credible evidence supports the claim that the US Navy (or anyone) recently dredged a new or significantly widened channel between the Omani islands (near Jazirat Musandam / Al Khil) to create a special tanker route.
The viral posts and Morse Report interpretation rely on satellite imagery highlighting a passage.
Independent assessments identify this as the long-charted natural feature known as Fakk al Asad (or Bab Musandam)—a deep-water gap between Ras al Bab (on the Musandam Peninsula) and Jazirat Musandam. Nautical sailing directions describe it as a clear, deep strait usable by power vessels with local knowledge; reported widths and depths (~0.2 mile / roughly matching the cited ~1,600 ft width and ~93 ft depth in places) align with existing charts rather than new excavation.
Key points against the claim:
No official confirmation from the US military, White House, CENTCOM, or Omani authorities.
No independent satellite analysis, commercial imagery providers, or maritime reporting has shown dredging signatures (e.g., equipment, sediment plumes, spoil disposal, or progressive bathymetric changes).
Recent imagery reviews describe the feature as unchanged and natural, with no engineering activity visible in the area.
The southern/Omani-side routes have been used more heavily during 2026 tensions (for coordination, escorts, “dark” transits, and mine avoidance), and the US has publicly emphasized mine-clearance operations in the broader strait. Those are distinct from creating a new dredged corridor.
In short, the imagery appears to show a pre-existing geographic passage that was misinterpreted (or overstated) as evidence of recent covert dredging. Larger conceptual ideas for Hormuz-bypass canals across the Musandam Peninsula exist as studies, but they are unrelated engineering proposals, not completed or ongoing work. The specific “US Navy dredged this path” assertion remains unverified and is contradicted by available charts, imagery analysis, and the lack of corroborating evidence.
No credible evidence supports the claim that the US Navy (or anyone) recently dredged a new or significantly widened channel between the Omani islands (near Jazirat Musandam / Al Khil) to create a special tanker route. The viral posts and Morse Report interpretation rely on satellite imagery...
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