US Central Command says it has helped more than 3,000 commercial vessels transit the Strait of Hormuz over the past six months, but the UN shipping agency reports that few ships are crossing the waterway following renewed attacks.

Key Takeaways

  • CENTCOM said US forces have assisted Gulf partners in exporting more than 1.5 billion barrels of crude oil since summer.
  • The International Maritime Organization said hundreds of ships remain trapped in the Persian Gulf.

Strait of Hormuz transit claims

CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper visited the waterway on October 25, 2026, observing conditions from a US Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter. His visit came as CENTCOM announced the oil-export milestone.

CENTCOM claimed that more than 95% of ships navigating the strait in recent months had sailed through safely. It also said US forces had cleared international shipping lanes of sea mines laid by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Cooper said primary transit routes remained clear of Iranian sea mines and that US forces were focused on keeping commercial traffic flowing.

UN agency reports limited crossings

The International Maritime Organization, the UN shipping agency, reported that very few ships were crossing the waterway after renewed attacks on vessels following the resumption of hostilities in July.

The agency also said thousands of seafarers aboard hundreds of ships remained trapped in the Persian Gulf. Its assessment addresses the volume of crossings and stranded vessels, while CENTCOM’s safety claim concerns the proportion of navigating ships that sailed through safely.

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