CENTCOM: 1.5 Billion Barrels Shipped Out of the Gulf Despite Iran's Push

United States Central Command says its forces have helped Gulf nations ship more than 1.5 billion barrels of oil out of the region since June, even as Iran keeps pressing to control the Strait of Hormuz. According to the command, over 3,000 commercial vessels have moved through the chokepoint with US support across the past six months. CENTCOM also claims more than 95 percent of ships navigating the channel got through safely in recent months, which it says shows Washington and its regional partners are the ones calling the shots on the international waterway.

The numbers landed as CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper toured the region. He took a US Army helicopter flight over the strait to eyeball what he called the current operational environment. In a statement, Cooper said the US stands shoulder to shoulder with Gulf partners and the shipping industry, and that the trip underlines its commitment to keeping navigation free through Hormuz. He also said the main transit routes are clear of Iranian mines thanks to clearance crews and their incredible efforts.

The waterway has been a tinderbox since the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran in late February. Tanker traffic cratered, and crude flows have only recently clawed their way back to where they were before the war. At least 16.5 million barrels of oil a day left the region in September, matching the pre-war average once Iran is excluded, according to market intelligence firm Kpler.

Analysts credit a workaround economy for the rebound: ship-to-ship transfers offshore, US military escorts and heavier reliance on oil pipelines are all doing the heavy lifting. Cooper said he remains intensely focused on keeping commercial traffic flowing, pointing to cooperation with the US interagency, the Gulf Cooperation Council and the shipping industry. Iran's threat to commercial vessels hasn't gone away.

Drivers are still paying. Brent crude futures sat around $114.50 a barrel on Sunday, easing about 2 percent from last week's nearly six-month high. For context, Brent settled at $72.48 a barrel on February 27, the day before the strikes on Iran began.

So the barrels are moving again and the shooting risk hasn't vanished, which is why prices are still miles above where they started. CENTCOM wants the six-month figures to read as proof that its escorts and mine-clearance crews are holding the line. Iran, for its part, isn't backing off.