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WorldGulf

US commander says 3,000 ships escorted through Hormuz and lanes cleared of Iranian mines

Admiral Brad Cooper flew over the strait on Sunday to show support for Gulf oil exports, in a month that has seen more attacks on shipping there than any since the war began.

From the editorial desk · Strait of HormuzPublished
US Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper and the Strait of Hormuz (file photos)
US Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper and the Strait of Hormuz (file photos)Photos: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff / Wikimedia Commons; Unknown / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0, Public domain

Key points

  1. CENTCOM says more than 3,000 commercial ships crossed Hormuz with US help in six months.
  2. It says US forces have cleared the shipping lanes of mines laid by the IRGC.
  3. October has seen more than 120 attacks on ships near the strait, the most of the war.

The commander of US forces in the Middle East said on Sunday that more than 3,000 commercial ships have passed through the Strait of Hormuz with American military support over the past six months, and that the shipping lanes have been swept clear of Iranian mines.

Admiral Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command (CENTCOM), flew over the strait to underline US backing for Gulf oil exports. CENTCOM said the US had helped its Gulf allies ship “more than 1.5 billion barrels” since the summer, and that its forces had “successfully cleared” the lanes of sea mines laid by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

“We continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with our Gulf partners and the shipping industry,” Admiral Cooper said, calling the visit a sign of “strong commitment to continued freedom of navigation”. He said CENTCOM was working with the Gulf Cooperation Council and shipowners to keep traffic moving.

The picture on the water is less settled. October has been the worst month of the war for attacks on ships near the strait, with more than 120 reported so far, and Iran claimed earlier in the week that seven oil tankers had caught fire or been damaged in and around it. On Sunday, Iranian media reported an explosion in the strait, initially blamed on an anti-ship cruise missile; that has not been confirmed. A US naval blockade, meanwhile, is restricting Iran’s own oil exports.

The figures matter in India, which buys much of its crude and gas from Gulf producers whose cargoes pass through the strait. Brent crude rose above $117 a barrel on Friday.