In a video statement on U.S. military operations in the Strait of Hormuz, CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper said they had supported the departure of more than 1 billion barrels of crude oil from the Gulf.
Cooper said they were working with regional partners to keep passage through the strait open and safe. He said U.S. forces had provided coordinated protection for more than 2,000 commercial vessels passing through the strait, arguing that these activities demonstrated the momentum of the U.S. military in the region.
Oil and shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz
Cooper said the main transit routes in the Strait of Hormuz had been cleared of mines and that thousands of vessels were using them. Saying that more than 1 billion barrels of crude oil had been shipped through the strait by Gulf partners, Cooper claimed that Iran had not carried out any oil exports.
Cooper said the strict measures they had implemented in the region were producing results, adding that the volume of crude oil, cargo and liquefied natural gas transported over the past two weeks had exceeded the level recorded during any period in the previous six months.
Air defense and unmanned aerial vehicle unit
The CENTCOM commander said they had strengthened air defense capabilities with regional partners. Cooper said the coalition had established a new unmanned aerial vehicle attack unit and noted that it aimed to keep passage through the Strait of Hormuz and the surrounding waters open and safe.