CENTCOM Says US Forces Helped Gulf States Export 1.5 Billion Barrels Through Hormuz Since Summer

Since the US-Israeli strikes on Iran began Feb. 28, the Strait of Hormuz has been the central flashpoint of the war. On Sunday, Oct. 25, US Central Command put numbers on its role there.

CENTCOM said in a statement on X that US forces have helped Gulf partners export more than 1.5 billion barrels of crude since summer. It said more than 3,000 commercial vessels transited the strait with its support over the past six months. It also said over 95% of ships navigating the channel in recent months sailed through safely.

The statement coincided with a visit by CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper. He toured the strait aboard a US Army helicopter and met sailors and soldiers involved in mine clearance.

"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.

What the flow data shows

The market data backs up part of the claim. The tracking firm Kpler found that at least 16.5 million barrels per day left the Gulf in September, excluding Iran. That equals the pre-war average.

Credit for that rebound is shared. Analysts cite a combination of ship-to-ship transfers offshore, US military escorts and heavier use of pipelines. CENTCOM's figure counts barrels it supported, not barrels that moved because of its escorts alone.

Prices have not followed volumes back to normal. Brent crude futures stood at about $114.50 a barrel on Sunday, after easing roughly 2% from last week's nearly six-month high.

The numbers don't line up perfectly

CENTCOM's own figures shift from one statement to the next. In a Friday update, Cooper said US forces had helped ship over 100 million barrels in the previous seven days, on top of more than 1.3 billion barrels in recent months. Sunday's statement said more than 1.5 billion since summer. CENTCOM has not said how the two totals reconcile.

The safety rate also varies. Sunday's statement said over 95%. CENTCOM spokesman Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins told Fox News Digital this week that about 97% of ships seeking to transit have done so without being hit by an Iranian projectile. On a base of 3,000 vessels, even 95% leaves a meaningful number of ships that were not safe.

The human toll is documented. Cooper said the International Maritime Organization reports more than 20 civilian mariners killed in Iranian attacks on commercial shipping since February. CENTCOM said the Singapore-flagged, Cyprus-owned container ship GFS Pride was hit by an Iranian projectile in the strait and sank while being towed ashore after a fire.

Hawkins argued the attacks are failing. "They are not achieving their objective of closing the Strait of Hormuz," he said.

Iran disputes who controls the strait

Iran has demanded that ships get its permission to transit the strait, through which about a fifth of global oil exports normally pass. An Iranian army spokesperson said the strait would reopen "if America leaves the region." Iran also says it has never left the negotiating table and accuses Washington of imposing unilateral demands.

Washington says that control has already slipped away from Tehran. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said this month that Iran has "lost complete control" of the strait and that its economy is "in total and complete freefall." CENTCOM said the figures show "the United States and regional partners control the international waterway."

The blockade side of the ledger

The escort mission runs alongside a US naval blockade of Iranian crude, reimposed in July. In his Friday video update, Cooper said the blockade has kept at least $25 billion worth of Iranian oil from reaching export markets. He said CENTCOM has helped US agencies freeze nearly $350 million in cryptocurrency.

Cooper also said Iran is withholding salaries, pensions and benefits across several industries, including the IRGC. He cited reports that Iran-aligned militias are withholding their own fighters' pay to send money to the IRGC. Those are Cooper's assessments, and Iran has not been shown confirming them.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said at the start of October that September was the first month on record in which Iran loaded no crude for export.

No settlement yet

The war remains unresolved despite a ceasefire and a memorandum aimed at a final peace deal. Trump said Sunday that the US would not attack Iran that day. He told Fox News he could reach an agreement with Tehran or take further military action, and that Washington knows exactly what is happening at the Pickaxe Mountain site near Natanz.

Reuters has described the site as heavily fortified, with deeply buried tunnel complexes. Iran says no nuclear activity is taking place there. Trump has said he received two differing intelligence assessments on Iran.

Whether the next move is a deal or a strike on Pickaxe Mountain has not been announced. Until then, the strait stays open under US escort, at a Brent price near $114.50.