US Sets Wartime Record Escorting Oil Vessels Through Hormuz Strait
The US military has set a wartime record by escorting 40 commercial vessels carrying 18 million barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday. The operation was part of a broader US strategy focused on the key waterway, where Washington has been carrying out strikes and maintaining a naval blockade on Iranian ports to increase economic pressure on Tehran.
According to military officials, the US forces struck nearly 60 Iranian military targets around the Strait of Hormuz, including air defense sites, radar systems, maritime assets, mine-laying capabilities, and communications installations. They also destroyed several anti-ship cruise missiles during the escort operation.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) directed its efforts on the strait and preventing oil exports from entering or leaving Iranian ports, pushing other priorities such as operations aimed at Iran's nuclear program into the background for now.
American forces plan to continue escort missions through the mine-cleared passage and hope to widen the lane by next month, allowing vessels to move more freely and increasing the volume of oil flowing through the waterway.