The United States military has facilitated the passage of more than one billion barrels of crude oil through the Strait of Hormuz, the commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), Brad Cooper, announced on Sunday.
“That means one billion barrels of crude oil have transited the Strait of Hormuz over the past several months,” Cooper said in a video published on CENTCOM’s official account, the body responsible for US military operations across the Middle East.
“We have reached this significant milestone while assisting more than 2,000 commercial vessel transits through the strait, providing coordinated protection. It is clear that momentum is building. The main transit routes through Hormuz are clear of mines,” he said.
Cooper also highlighted results achieved by US forces, stating that “thousands of ships have passed through the strait” while “Iran has not exported a single barrel” due to what he described as a “iron blockade” imposed on Tehran.
Despite this progress, Cooper said he maintained “clear vision and precise focus” as US forces work alongside American intergovernmental agencies, “as well as with the six partners of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), insurance companies, and shipping companies, to increase the volume of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.”
Cooper said “the effort is bearing fruit”, noting that “the volume of crude oil, cargo, and liquefied natural gas over the past two weeks is higher than at any other point in the last six months.”
The CENTCOM commander added that US forces continue to collaborate with “all partners in the region”, reinforcing air defences, forming a new coalition attack drone unit, and keeping the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters open and unobstructed.
The announcement comes amid growing pressure on President Donald Trump’s administration, as the average price of diesel in the United States stood near an all-time high of US$6.43 per gallon on Friday, according to the latest data from GasBuddy, against a backdrop of persistent tensions in energy markets.
Source: Diário Económico
Original article: https://www.diarioeconomico.co.mz/2026/09/21/mundo/medio-oriente-eua-afirmam-ter-facilitado-passagem-de-mil-milhoes-de-barris-de-petroleo/
