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The US military escorted 40 commercial vessels Tuesday that were carrying 18 million barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz, CNN reported Wednesday, marking a wartime high for the operations.
US forces struck nearly 60 Iranian military targets around the waterway during the operation, two US officials familiar with the operations told CNN.
The operation targeted Iranian air defense sites, radar systems, maritime assets, mine-laying capabilities and communications installations. US forces also destroyed several anti-ship cruise missiles during the escort.
Before the war began more than six months ago, roughly 20 million barrels of oil transited the strait daily. On Monday, more than 17 million barrels passed through, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright told CNBC.
US military officials anticipate additional strikes near the strait in the coming days, said one of the officials, as he claimed Iranian forces have demonstrated the ability to rebuild their capabilities quickly, requiring sustained offensive pressure.
The US and Iran remain locked in a bitter dispute about control of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global oil shipments. Fighting has repeatedly flared around the waterway since the war began in late February.
US President Donald Trump declared American dominance over the strait. "We now control the Strait of Hormuz. We control it...They get nothing, and we took out ships," Trump said Wednesday.
In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump floated renaming the waterway. "Now that we have it under U.S.A. control, should we change the name Hormuz Strait to Trump Strait???," he wrote.
Tehran has rejected Washington's assertions of control. Iranian officials have repeatedly stated the strait will remain closed or heavily restricted until the US meets conditions tied to an interim deal reached in June.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy has dismissed US claims that the strait is "open," accusing Washington of manipulating oil markets and concealing military failures.
The US has conducted mine-clearance operations and pre-emptive strikes on Iranian systems it alleges were preparing to deploy mines, describing the actions as efforts to restore safe passage. (AA)
