US ships jet fuel to Japan and Philippines via Pacific amid Hormuz closure

The U.S. military is rerouting its jet fuel shipments from Washington state to bases in Japan and the Philippines, steering clear of the Strait of Hormuz due to ongoing tensions with Iran. A tender was released on Thursday for 235,000 barrels of jet fuel from BP's Cherry Point refinery in Blaine, Washington, intended for Subic Bay, with plans to depart in early June. Another tender seeks 260,000 barrels of military-grade jet fuel or diesel for Yokose in Sasebo, Japan, scheduled for May and June. This reflects a rising trend of U.S. fuel supplies to the Asia-Pacific, which usually depends on Middle Eastern sources. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth mentioned that two U.S. aircraft carriers will soon block the Strait. Neither U.S. Transportation Command nor BP commented on the matter.