US says it helped Gulf states keep Hormuz oil flows moving

US Central Command says more than 3,000 commercial vessels have transited the Strait of Hormuz with its support over the past six months, as Gulf states continued exporting oil through one of the world's most sensitive shipping lanes. The command said it has helped regional partners move more than 1.5 billion barrels of oil since June, despite what it described as Iranian efforts to control the waterway. It said more than 95 percent of ships using the route sailed safely in recent months.

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The figures were released on Sunday as Admiral Brad Cooper, CENTCOM's commander, visited the region and observed the current operational environment in the strait from a US Army helicopter. In a statement, Cooper said the United States continued to stand shoulder to shoulder with Gulf partners and the shipping industry. He said the visit underscored a commitment to freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

CENTCOM said the main transit routes were free of Iranian mines because of mine-clearance operations carried out by personnel working with regional and US partners. Cooper said the command remained focused on keeping commercial traffic moving while working with the US interagency, the Gulf Cooperation Council and the shipping industry. The statement framed the effort as a joint security operation rather than a temporary escort mission.

The Strait of Hormuz is a critical chokepoint for global energy supplies, and any disruption there can quickly affect oil markets and shipping costs. The command's update comes amid continuing tensions over maritime security in the area and follows months in which commercial operators have had to weigh the risk of attacks or interference against the need to keep cargo moving. The reported recovery in flows suggests that security measures and alternative logistics have helped blunt some of the pressure on exports.

CENTCOM also said crude oil flows had largely returned to levels seen before the war between the United States and Israel and Iran, which it said began in late February. It cited market intelligence estimates showing that 16.5 million barrels of oil per day left the region in September, close to the pre-war average excluding Iran. Analysts have linked the rebound to ship-to-ship transfers offshore, US military escorts and greater use of pipelines, although prices have remained elevated compared with earlier in the year.

What remains unclear is how durable the current level of security will be if tensions rise again or if shipping patterns change. The command did not provide a breakdown of incidents prevented, and it was not possible to independently verify the full operational impact of the mine-clearance work from the statement alone. For now, the figures point to a sustained effort by the United States and regional partners to keep one of the world's most important oil corridors open.

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