US helped Gulf nations ship 1.5 billion barrels through Hormuz

RIYADH: US Central Command on Sunday said it helped Gulf countries export 1.5 billion barrels of oil via the Strait of Hormuz since summer, bypassing an Iranian blockade.

"U.S. forces reach the milestone of assisting Gulf partners in exporting more than 1.5 billion barrels of crude oil since summer," CENTCOM said in a statement posted on X.

"More than 3,000 commercial vessels have successfully transited the Strait of Hormuz with support from CENTCOM forces over the last six months," it added, stating that "over 95% of ships navigating the Strait of Hormuz have sailed through safely."

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

Iran has seized control over the vital waterway since the Middle East war erupted with US-Israeli strikes on the Islamic republic on Feb 28.

It has demanded permission for ships to transit the strait, through which a fifth of global oil exports normally pass.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said this month that Iran has "lost complete control" of the Strait of Hormuz, claiming that Teheran's economy was "in total and complete freefall."

"The Straits of Hormuz are open. There's almost as much oil flowing out now as there was before this conflict began. So they've lost complete control of the Straits," he said.

According to data from the maritime tracking firm Kpler, crude oil exports reached pre-war levels in September, with at least 16.5 million barrels leaving the region excluding Iran.--AFP