CENTCOM Says 1 Billion Barrels of Oil Moved Through Hormuz as Iran Exports None Under U.S. Blockade
U.S. Central Command said Saturday that more than 1 billion barrels of crude oil have passed through the Strait of Hormuz over the past two months, a period in which, according to the command, Iran has exported no oil under a U.S. naval blockade.
Adm. Brad Cooper, who leads CENTCOM, announced the figure in a video posted to social media. He said U.S. forces have helped more than 2,000 commercial vessels move through the strategic waterway by providing coordinated protection.
“CENTCOM forces have supported more than one billion barrels of crude oil leaving the Gulf,” Cooper said. “That’s one billion barrels of crude oil out through the Strait of Hormuz in the last couple of months.”
Cooper said the milestone came as commercial traffic through the strait continues to rise.
“We’ve reached this significant milestone while assisting over 2,000 commercial ship transits through the strait by providing coordinated protection,” he said. “Clearly, momentum is building.”
The Strait of Hormuz, which links the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, is one of the world’s most important energy shipping corridors. Roughly a fifth of global oil consumption normally moves through the narrow passage, making its security a central concern for energy markets, insurers and Gulf exporters.
Cooper said the main transit lanes through the strait are free of mines and that thousands of vessels have passed through the waterway.
“Over one billion barrels of crude have been shipped from Gulf partners through the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran has exported zero barrels thanks to our ironclad blockade,” Cooper said.
Iran has disputed U.S. assertions that the blockade has completely halted its oil exports. Iranian Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad said last month that exports had declined, but he maintained that Iran was continuing to deliver oil to customers outside its territorial waters.
Cooper said the volume of crude oil, cargo and liquefied natural gas moving through the strait over the past two weeks was higher than at any point in the past six months.
He said CENTCOM is working with all six Gulf Cooperation Council partners, as well as insurance and shipping companies, to increase commercial traffic through the waterway.
“We’re also working with every partner in the region, enhancing their air defense, forming a new coalition attack drone unit, and keeping the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters open and clear,” Cooper said.
The competing accounts from Washington and Tehran underscore how the Strait of Hormuz remains both an economic lifeline and a flashpoint. Even as U.S. officials report sustained flows, any prolonged disruption could raise shipping costs, tighten insurance markets and add pressure to global energy prices. For now, CENTCOM is presenting the increased traffic as evidence that its security mission is holding, while Iran continues to reject the claim that its exports have been cut to zero.
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