US military says it escorted 1.5 billion barrels of oil through Strait of Hormuz

The US military said it has helped Gulf countries export more than 1.5 billion barrels of crude oil through the Strait of Hormuz since the summer, bypassing an Iranian blockade of the waterway. US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced the milestone on Sunday (Oct 25) in a statement posted on X. "U.S. forces reach the milestone of assisting Gulf partners in exporting more than 1.5 billion barrels of crude oil since summer," it said.

CENTCOM added that more than 3,000 commercial vessels have passed through the strait with support from its forces over the past six months. It said over 95 per cent of ships navigating the waterway have done so safely.

CENTCOM chief Admiral Brad Cooper, who was visiting US troops in Hormuz, said the main transit routes remain free of Iranian sea mines. "Today, primary transit routes in the Strait of Hormuz remain free and clear of Iranian sea mines thanks to incredible efforts by our people," he said.

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Iran has taken control of the strategic waterway since the West Asia war began on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes on the country. Tehran has demanded that ships obtain permission before transiting the strait, through which a fifth of global oil exports normally pass.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said earlier this month that Iran has "lost complete control" of the strait. He claimed Iran's economy was "in total and complete freefall." "The Straits of Hormuz are open," Rubio said. "There's almost as much oil flowing out now as there was before this conflict began."

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Data from the maritime tracking firm Kpler shows that crude oil exports from the region, excluding Iran, returned to pre-war levels in September, with at least 16.5 million barrels leaving.