The U.S. Central Command announced on the 19th local time that more than 1 billion barrels of crude oil have been transported through the Strait of Hormuz over the past few months.

In a video released on X (formerly Twitter) that day, U.S. Central Command Commander Brad Cooper made the statement, saying, "The U.S. military has supported the passage of merchant vessels through the strait more than 2,000 times, reaching an important milestone in the process."

Previously, Iran blockaded the Strait of Hormuz—through which about 20% of the world's maritime crude oil shipments pass—immediately following U.S. and Israeli attacks on February 28.

Commander Cooper stated that mines have been cleared from the main shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz.

He added, "Over the past two weeks, the volume of crude oil, cargo, and liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments has been higher than at any time in the past six months."

To increase the volume of shipping passing through the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. military is cooperating with the six member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), as well as U.S. government agencies, insurance companies, and shipping firms.

On the other hand, regarding Iran's crude oil export volume, Commander Cooper claimed, "It is zero barrels due to our ironclad blockade."

Following Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. military has been enforcing a maritime blockade to intercept vessels entering and leaving Iranian ports under the direction of President Donald Trump.

Commander Cooper added, "The Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters remain open and safe," and "We are strengthening air defense capabilities in cooperation with regional nations and have established a coalition attack drone unit."

(Photo: Getty Images)