Cooper Visits Hormuz as CENTCOM Reports 1.5 Billion Barrels Shipped With U.S. Support

Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, visited the Strait of Hormuz on October 25 aboard a U.S. Army CH-47 Chinook to observe commercial shipping. CENTCOM said American forces had helped Gulf partners export more than 1.5 billion barrels of crude oil since summer. It also reported supporting the passage of more than 3,000 commercial vessels over the previous six months. Cooper said the main transit routes remained clear of Iranian sea mines. CENTCOM said U.S. forces had previously cleared mines laid by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and Cooper thanked personnel who supported that mission.