U.S. Says More Than 1 Billion Barrels Crossed Hormuz Amid Iran Blockade

The United States says more than one billion barrels of crude oil have passed through the Strait of Hormuz over the past two months with support from U.S. forces, while Iran has exported no crude during the same period.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Admiral Brad Cooper made the claim in a video statement on Saturday, saying American forces had supported more than 2,000 commercial ship transits through the strategic waterway by providing coordinated protection.

“Momentum is building,” Cooper said, adding that the main shipping lanes through the strait had been cleared of mines and that thousands of vessels had passed through.

Cooper said more than one billion barrels of crude had been shipped from Gulf countries through the Strait of Hormuz, while Iran had exported zero barrels under what he described as an “ironclad blockade.” He also said the volume of crude oil, cargo and liquefied natural gas moving through the waterway during the previous two weeks was higher than at any point during the preceding six months.

U.S. Operations In Hormuz

According to CENTCOM, U.S. forces resumed a naval blockade of Iranian ports in mid-July. Cooper said no vessel had entered or left an Iranian port without U.S. permission since then, apart from humanitarian shipments.

The U.S. military has also said it cleared Iranian mines from internationally recognised shipping lanes using Navy divers, SEALs and aircraft from several services.

The latest figures indicate an increase from numbers Cooper cited in late August, when he said nearly 1,500 commercial vessels carrying about 750 million barrels of crude had passed through the strait.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most important energy routes. Before the conflict, about 20 million barrels of oil moved through the waterway each day, meaning one billion barrels would normally represent roughly seven weeks of traffic.

Shipping Traffic Remains Below Pre-War Levels

Despite the U.S. figures, independent shipping data has indicated that traffic through the strait remains significantly below pre-war levels.

Earlier statements from U.S. officials said around 30 ships were being helped through the strait each night, while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said at least 10 million barrels of oil were moving through the waterway each day.

Ship-tracking data covering the period since March, however, showed an average of about seven vessels a day, compared with roughly 100 vessels a day before the conflict. The longer-term average may not fully reflect more recent increases in traffic.

The United States has also described its operations as providing coordinated protection and supporting commercial transits, rather than necessarily escorting every individual tanker with a warship.

Hormuz Remains A Major Conflict Zone

The Strait of Hormuz, located between Iran and Oman at the entrance to the Gulf, has become a major flashpoint since the conflict began on February 28.

The International Maritime Organization said on September 16 that it had verified 80 attacks on international shipping in and around the strait since the start of the conflict. At least 22 seafarers had been killed, with others injured.

Iran has accused vessels of attempting unauthorised passages through the waterway and has said it is entitled to control shipping routes through the strait.

The United States, meanwhile, has moved to keep international shipping lanes open while restricting Iranian oil exports.