US Central Command (CENTCOM) chief Admiral Brad Cooper said Saturday that the command had facilitated the safe passage of 1 billion barrels of crude oil through the Strait of Hormuz over the past two months.
More than 2,000 commercial vessels
In a video statement, Cooper said US Central Command had successfully secured the passage of more than 2,000 commercial vessels through the strategic waterway, adding that Iran had not exported a single barrel of oil.
Naval blockade and Iranian warning
In mid-July, the United States reinstated its naval blockade covering all Iranian ports, whether located inside or outside the Strait of Hormuz.
Earlier on Friday, Brig. Gen. Aziz Ghananfari, deputy assistant commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, warned that if Iran was not allowed to export oil, no other country in the region would be allowed to export it either.
We in the armed forces have reached the conclusion that if Iran wants to enjoy greater security and deterrence in the future, control over the Strait of Hormuz must be strengthened
A vital strait for oil supplies
Before the war broke out, around 20 million barrels of oil passed through the Strait of Hormuz each day, representing about one-fifth of global supplies.
