U.S. Military Says It Has Helped Transport Hundreds Of Millions Of Barrels Of Oil Despite Iran’s Blockade

The U.S. military said it has helped the transport of over 660 million barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz despite Iran’s blockade over the past months, the Central Command said.

Concretely, U.S. Navy Captain Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for the force, said it had assisted some 1,300 vessels sail through the waterway since early May. “Multiple routes remain free and open for commercial transit,” he added.

CNBC noted that, based on Centcom estimations, the force has helped the transport of some 7 million barrels per day. This is still considerably below pre-war levels, when about 20 million barrels made it through the waterway every day.

The remarks follow a recent report claiming that the U.S. military is carrying out missions to help vessels transit the strait despite Iran’s blockade.

Citing officials familiar with the matter, Axios detailed on Thursday that the strategy has managed to guarantee the shipping of about 10 millions of barrels a day.

Overall, between 15 and 20 tankers are entering and exiting the waterway at night through a channel along the coast of Oman.

U.S. forces are not only escorting the vessels, but also helping them pick up oil from countries in the region and then exit.

“We have been controlling the southern lane of the Strait of Hormuz for two months now. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps can be a nuisance, but they don’t control the strait. We do,” an official told the outlet.

The military is using fighter jets to protect the vessels from potential missiles and drones launched from Iran, and made possible by a recent launch of strikes that weakened Tehran’s radar and maritime surveillance systems. Some ships, however, have been hit.

The U.S. has doubled down on economic pressure in the meantime. Earlier this week, President Donald Trump announced the U.S. will carry out an “economic D-Day” against Iran.

In a social media post, Trump said that Washington will launch the “most crushing economic operation ever taken against any country.”

“This will be Economic Warfare and Isolation on an unprecedented scale,” Trump said, also threatening large “economic consequences” for “ANY country that allows its financial institutions, businesses, airports, or government entities to provide any type of lifeline to Iran.”

“This will be an ECONOMIC D-DAY, and we need all of our Allies to stand with the United States of America to isolate, and defeat, the Iran threat. These maniacs are on the ropes, and these HISTORIC MEASURES will cripple them and their ability to project terror worldwide,” Trump added.