Centcom: The Strait of Hormuz is under the control of the United States and regional partners

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Commander of the US Central Command (Centcom), Brad Cooper, confirmed on Friday that the Strait of Hormuz is under the control of America and its regional partners, not Iran, pointing out that 400 commercial ships have crossed the Strait of Hormuz in the last week.

The Centcom commander added, “We helped transport more than 1.3 billion barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz,” noting that Centcom’s measures impose huge costs on the Iranian regime and the Revolutionary Guard in particular, and that the continuing pressure on Tehran affects all sectors of its economy.

The Centcom commander stated that Iran has been prevented from exporting crude oil worth at least $25 billion, indicating that more than 50,000 military personnel are currently deployed in the Middle East.

Brad Cooper stated that his body caused serious damage to Iran's ability to extend any influence outside its borders, and that Iran no longer has any exports or imports with the tightening of the naval blockade.

The Centcom commander went on to say, "When American forces carried out large-scale combat operations during Operation Epic Fury earlier this year, we caused serious damage to Iran's ability to extend its military influence to regions far beyond its borders."

The spokesman added, "We sank the Iranian Navy, destroyed its weapons factories, and reduced the ability of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard to launch ballistic missiles and drones."

He continued, "Since our highly successful military campaign, which lasted 38 days, more than 50,000 American military personnel deployed in the Middle East continue to perform exceptional work, alongside our regional partners, to defend against Iranian attacks, remove Iranian naval mines from the Strait of Hormuz, and provide protection for commercial ships, in addition to enforcing a tight naval blockade twice, a blockade that is still in effect today."

He stressed that, except for the humanitarian aid that was allowed to enter, Iran does not have any exports or imports by sea.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the most important sea lanes for energy trade in the world, as it connects the Arabian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, and is located between Iran in the north and the Sultanate of Oman in the south.

Its width at its narrowest point is about 34 kilometers, while ships pass through two navigation lanes, each about 3 kilometers wide, separated by a buffer zone.

The Strait represents a major outlet for energy exports from the Gulf countries to global markets, especially Asia, which makes the safety of navigation an influential factor in the security of supplies and oil and gas prices.