Centcom: Over 1B crude oil barrels passed through Hormuz strait in recent months

Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, said Saturday that U.S. forces have helped move more than 1 billion barrels of crude oil through the Strait of Hormuz over the past couple of months. He made the remark while noting that the operations occurred amid an ongoing exchange of strikes between U.S.-aligned forces and Iran. Cooper also reported that U.S. units assisted in over 2,000 commercial ship transits through the strait during the same timeframe. Those numbers illustrate the continued flow of energy shipments through the narrow waterway despite heightened military activity in the region. The comments highlight the U.S. military’s role in maritime security operations aimed at ensuring the passage of commercial vessels through a strategically important chokepoint. They also underline the operational tempo required to support large-scale seaborne oil movements when regional tensions are elevated. While Cooper emphasized the cumulative volume and number of transits, his remarks did not provide a detailed breakdown of the types of vessels escorted, exact dates for the covered period, or operational specifics about the strikes referenced. Additional reporting would be needed to clarify those points.