The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced yesterday that its forces had helped their Gulf partners export more than 1.5 billion barrels of crude oil since the summer, coinciding with a visit to the Strait of Hormuz by its commander, Admiral Brad Cooper.<\/p>\n
In a statement, CENTCOM said Cooper had received an operational briefing while flying over the strait aboard a U.S. Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter. It added that more than 3,000 commercial vessels had safely transited the strait with support from its forces over the past six months.<\/p>\n
Cooper said the United States continues to support its Gulf partners and the shipping industry, stressing that his visit reflects Washington\u2019s commitment to ensuring freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n
CENTCOM said its forces had removed naval mines that it stated were planted by Iran\u2019s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in the strait\u2019s international shipping lanes. During the visit, Cooper met with U.S. military personnel who had participated in mine-clearance operations and praised their efforts.<\/p>\n
Cooper affirmed that the main transit routes were now clear of Iranian naval mines, emphasizing that efforts would continue to ensure the smooth movement of commercial vessels in cooperation with U.S. government agencies, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and the shipping industry.<\/p>\n
According to the command\u2019s statement, more than 95% of vessels that had sailed through the strait in recent months had passed through safely, despite what it described as attacks by Iran\u2019s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.<\/p>\n
CENTCOM said these results demonstrated the United States and its regional partners\u2019 control over the international waterway.<\/p>\n
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