CENTCOM Claims U.S. Helped Ship 1.5 Billion Barrels Through Hormuz While Blockading Iran

U.S. Central Command says American forces have helped Gulf countries export more than 1.5 billion barrels of crude oil through the Strait of Hormuz since summer, while a U.S. naval blockade keeps Iranian oil off the market.

CENTCOM announced the figures on October 25 during a visit to the strait by its commander, Adm. Brad Cooper. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards rejected the claim of U.S. control and say tankers struck mines in the strait this week. A UK maritime agency separately reported a limpet-mine attack on a tanker.

CENTCOM Cites 1.5 Billion Barrels and 3,000 Ship Transits

“The commander of U.S. Central Command visited the Strait of Hormuz, Oct. 25, as 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 its release. It said more than 3,000 commercial vessels have transited the strait “with support from CENTCOM forces over the last six months.”

CENTCOM also said that over 95% of ships navigating the strait in recent months “have sailed through safely despite the IRGC’s unwarranted aggression,” which it said shows “that the United States and regional partners control the international waterway.”

The release did not say how many ships were attacked or turned back, and did not explain what “support” meant for each vessel. These figures come from the U.S. military and are not independently verified.

Cooper Says Main Lanes Are Clear of Mines

Cooper flew over the strait in a U.S. Army CH-47 Chinook with Maj. Gen. Brandon Tegtmeier, commander of the 82nd Airborne Division. CENTCOM said he met troops who supported the mine-clearance mission after U.S. forces cleared the strait’s international shipping lanes of sea mines laid by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps.

“Today, primary transit routes in the Strait of Hormuz remain free and clear of Iranian sea mines thanks to incredible efforts by our people,” Cooper said. “We remain intensely focused on keeping commercial traffic flowing as we work with our teammates in the U.S. interagency, Gulf Cooperation Council, and shipping industry.”

The release gave no number of mines found or ships involved.

‘Zero Barrels’ Claim Dates to September

The October 25 release did not mention Iranian exports. The “zero barrels” line came earlier. On September 19, Cooper said in a video that more than 1 billion barrels had left the Gulf with U.S. support and that “Iran has exported zero barrels thanks to our ironclad blockade.” At that point CENTCOM cited more than 2,000 assisted transits.

The United States re-imposed its blockade of Iranian ships and ports on July 13, according to Asharq Al-Awsat.

Kpler data supports the broad picture. The firm says Iran has not loaded a crude or condensate cargo since August 25, and that Iranian oil on water outside the blockade zone fell to zero in mid-October, with about 43 million barrels stranded inside it.

Independent Data Shows Recovery but Not Full Flow

Tanker trackers cannot confirm CENTCOM’s 1.5 billion-barrel total, but they show Gulf exports recovering through several routes. Kpler said on October 23 that the seven-day average of oil moving through the strait itself was 12.65 million barrels a day, about 74% of the pre-war baseline of 17.15 million, even though non-Iranian Middle East supply to world markets was above pre-war levels because of bypass routes such as the Saudi East-West pipeline.

A report published by the World Ports Organization said Kpler put October Middle East flows at 16.7 million barrels a day through the 22nd, and Vortexa at 15.4 million, against at least 18.5 million before the war. The report noted that many tankers are sailing with tracking signals off, so figures are often revised upward later.

Clash Report reported on October 22 that Iran’s floating oil reserves in Asia have been exhausted under the U.S. blockade, according to Kpler. On October 29, it reported that Gulf oil exports have surpassed prewar levels while Brent hovers around $110.

Iran Rejects U.S. Claim of Control

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards mocked the Cooper visit. Spokesman Hossein Mohebbi posted a photo of Cooper aboard the aircraft next to an image of a burning supertanker and the line “Brent crude: $117 a barrel,” adding: “This is the reality.” Tasnim said the post was genuine; the image was a political message, not verified evidence.

On October 26, Iran’s armed forces chief of staff Ali Abdollahi said the Revolutionary Guards have “full control and oversight” of the strait, the Gulf coast and its islands.

The Guards’ navy said on October 23 that “the Strait of Hormuz is closed,” warning ships that use what it calls unauthorized routes.

Tankers Reportedly Hit Mines This Week

On Thursday, the Guards challenged the cleared-lanes claim. “Prove the claim that the Strait of Hormuz has been cleared of mines with independent evidence, not a statement,” Mohebbi said, according to CNBC.

The Guards said three tankers caught fire after striking mines on what they called an “unauthorized southern route” near the Omani coast, and Iran’s army said a fourth burned east of the strait. These claims have not been independently confirmed.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency separately reported that a small boat attached two explosive devices to a tanker about 25 nautical miles northeast of Khasab, Oman, causing an engine-room fire. The crew was safe. Maritime security sources told Reuters the vessel was the Panama-flagged Louise 1 and that the devices were limpet mines, which are attached directly to a ship’s hull rather than drifting at sea. It was unclear whether this was among the incidents the Guards cited. Iran’s navy also said on Friday it destroyed a U.S. unmanned vessel in the eastern strait, which the U.S. military had not confirmed.

Talks Stall as Strike Fears Grow

Qatari mediators returned to Tehran on Friday, Reuters reported. Washington wants nuclear issues addressed first, while Tehran says the United States must first end its naval blockade and ease limits on Iranian oil exports. Iran has proposed restoring shipping through the strait in stages over seven days, but says the clock will not start until $24 billion in foreign reserves is accessible.

The Wall Street Journal reported late Thursday that Cooper briefed President Donald Trump on military options for Iran in a rare White House visit, citing unnamed U.S. officials. The meeting also covered the continuing blockade. The administration is reportedly weighing renewed strikes after the November 3 midterm elections, and Trump has not announced a decision.