US Escalates Escort Operations for Oil Ships Through Strait of Hormuz Amid Iran Conflict

The US military has been actively escorting oil ships through the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway in the Middle East, as tensions between the US and Iran continue to escalate.

According to two US officials familiar with the operations, the US used air, sea, and space assets to escort 40 commercial vessels carrying 18 million barrels of oil through the strait, marking a wartime high. This is up from the roughly 20 million barrels that passed through the strait before the conflict began six months ago.

The US has focused its strategy in the war to prioritize striking targets around the strait and conducting escort operations for commercial vessels as part of a 'full court press' by the Trump administration to ramp up economic pressure on Iran's leadership. The officials stated that US forces neutralized anti-ship cruise missiles during the escort operation.

The wider conflict has escalated across the region, with Iran launching missiles and drones at Kuwait, which intercepted the attacks. Regional governments have reported intercepting Iranian missiles or drones in several countries, including the UAE, Bahrain, Jordan, and Iraq.