The CENTCOM commander says 750 million barrels of oil passed through the Strait of Hormuz with U.S. support

🔸The commander of the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said that U.S. forces have cleared mines laid by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps from international shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz and that in recent months they helped nearly 1,500 commercial ships carrying about 750 million barrels of crude oil transit through this waterway.

🔸Admiral Brad Cooper, early on Friday, Iran time, said in a video message on the X social network that “the U.S. Army has achieved a major turning point in the Strait of Hormuz.”

🔸In that message, he also said: “We successfully cleared sea mines in the international shipping lanes of the strait that had been laid months ago by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps using divers, special forces, and air support, and these routes are now open.”

🔸The CENTCOM commander emphasized: “Today, international shipping lanes are open, and forward movement is accelerating.”

🔸Previously, Donald Trump, the U.S. president, had also reported the clearance of the Strait of Hormuz of Iranian mines placed in the Strait of Hormuz. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, however, has repeatedly insisted, rejecting these claims, that the Strait of Hormuz is still blocked.

🔸However, outlets including Axios and CNN previously reported that oil tankers had transited through the Strait of Hormuz with the support of U.S. forces, while their location beacons were turned off.

🔸In his video message, Brad Cooper said that nearly 50,000 U.S. military personnel in the past few months have helped nearly 1,500 commercial ships carrying about 750 million barrels of crude oil transit through the Strait of Hormuz and have protected these transits.

🔸The CENTCOM commander also referred to the continuation of Iran’s naval blockade and said that since the resumption of this blockade on July 13, the Iranian government has not exported any oil from its ports, and that only the passage of ships with humanitarian purposes has been allowed.

🔸Read the full text of this report on Radio Farda’s website.