Oil and gas shipments through the Strait of Hormuz have reached their highest level in six months, according to U.S. Central Command, as the military works to reopen the critical energy chokepoint amid the ongoing conflict with Iran.
Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of CENTCOM, said in a video message Saturday that U.S. forces have helped facilitate the movement of more than one billion barrels of crude oil out of the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz over the past two months.
U.S. forces have also provided coordinated protection for more than 2,000 commercial ship transits through the strait, Cooper said.
“Clearly, momentum is building,” Cooper said, adding that the primary transit lanes had been cleared of mines and that thousands of ships had passed through the waterway.
“The volume of crude oil, cargo, and liquid natural gas these past two weeks is higher than at any point in the past six months,” Cooper said.
Cooper also claimed that Iran has exported “zero barrels” of oil during the period because of what he called an “ironclad blockade.”
Cooper’s statement comes as Washington continues efforts to restrict Iran’s ability to export oil while maintaining commercial shipping routes through the strategically important waterway.
The Strait of Hormuz has been a central pressure point in the conflict since the joint U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran on Feb. 28. The narrow waterway connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman, playing a critical role in global energy shipments.
Cooper said the U.S. military is working with Gulf Cooperation Council partners, other U.S. agencies, insurance companies, and shipping firms to increase traffic through the strait. The military is also assisting regional partners with air defenses and establishing a new coalition attack-drone unit, he said.
The renewed shipping flows come as energy prices remain elevated in the United States.
AAA’s national average for regular gasoline was $4.48 per gallon Saturday, up from about $4.28 a week earlier and $4.06 a month earlier. California had the nation’s highest state average at more than $6.13 per gallon, while Indiana’s average was about $4.00.
The energy market has faced additional disruptions beyond the Strait of Hormuz.
Earlier this month, drone attacks attributed by Saudi Arabia to Iraqi militias damaged the kingdom’s East-West pipeline, a key route for moving crude to the Red Sea and allowing Saudi oil exports to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen have also added another layer of risk. The group has expanded attacks in the region, including strikes against Saudi targets, raising concerns about disruptions around the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, another key chokepoint for global commerce.
INTERNATIONAL PROTESTS BREAK OUT OVER RISING OIL AND GAS COSTS
Cooper said the U.S. military would continue working with regional partners to keep the Strait of Hormuz open.
“The average American doing this important work is in their mid-20s,” Cooper said, praising the pilots, maintainers, logisticians, air defenders, intelligence analysts, and other service members involved in the operation.