U.S. Central Command says more than 3,000 commercial ships have passed through Hormuz with U.S. support in 6 months Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, the command's commander, reviewed the status of strait operations Oct. 25 during a flight aboard a U.S. Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter. CENTCOM said U.S. forces have helped Gulf partners export more than 1.5 billion barrels of crude oil since the summer and cleared international shipping lanes of sea mines laid by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Cooper said the main transit routes remained clear of Iranian naval mines, and CENTCOM said more than 95 percent of the ships that have passed through the strait in recent months have passed safely.

U.S. Central Command says more than 3,000 commercial ships have passed through Hormuz with U.S. support in 6 months Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, the command's commander, reviewed the status of strait operations Oct. 25 during a flight aboard a U.S. Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter. CENTCOM said U.S. forces have helped Gulf partners export more than 1.5 billion barrels of crude oil since the summer and cleared international shipping lanes of sea mines laid by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Cooper said the main transit routes remained clear of Iranian naval mines, and CENTCOM said more than 95 percent of the ships that have passed through the strait in recent months have passed safely.