More than 1.5 billion barrels of crude oil have passed through the Strait of Hormuz since June, when the U.S. military began escorting tankers through Iran’s blockade of the maritime chokepoint, Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, said Friday.
He said U.S. forces have been “laser-focused” on the mission, working with regional partners and the shipping industry.
“After we sank Iran’s navy earlier this year, we also successfully cleared the Strait’s internationally recognized primary transit routes of Iranian sea mines,” he said in a statement. “Meanwhile, we’ve prevented Iran from exporting any oil because of the ironclad blockade on Iranian ports.”
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Adm. Cooper said that during a recent visit to the Gulf, he saw dozens of commercial vessels pass through the waterway, along with U.S. military forces, including a squadron of advanced Navy sea drones on patrol.
“Here’s what I didn’t see. I didn’t see the [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] out there at all. They patrolled the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters for decades, harassing, threatening and seizing commercial vessels at will,” Adm. Cooper said. “But they’re not out there, because Iran’s navy is at the bottom of the sea.”
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