A spokesperson for U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), U.S. Navy Captain Tim Hawkins said traffic through the strait “continues to flow” while rejecting the suggestion that Iran controls the waterway.
“Since early May, we have assisted commercial vessels moving more than 900 million barrels of crude oil through the Strait of Hormuz to the global energy market,” Hawkins said.
The CENTCOM spokesperson said U.S. forces were carrying out two simultaneous missions: facilitating commercial traffic while enforcing what he described as a highly effective blockade, Al Jazeera reported.
“We have redirected more than 100 ships that were trying to violate the blockade,” Hawkins said.
He added that U.S. forces had completed clearing mines from internationally recognised primary shipping lanes in the strait several weeks ago.
