US Military Strikes 60 Targets and Protects Millions of Barrels of Oil in the Strait of Hormuz

The US military successfully escorted 40 commercial vessels carrying 18 million barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz, marking a wartime high as Iran and the US exchanged a new round of strikes, according to two US officials familiar with the operations. Prior to the launch of the war just over six months ago, roughly 20 million barrels a day were passing through the strait.

The US utilized a range of air, sea, and space assets to target Iran's capability to attack commercial vessels while simultaneously fending off waves of drone attacks and neutralizing anti-ship cruise missiles during the high-risk escort operations. US Central Command (CENTCOM) has directed its efforts toward the strait and preventing oil exports from leaving or entering Iranian ports, while operations focused on eliminating elements of Iran's nuclear program have been temporarily backburnered.

On Tuesday, the US conducted multi-faceted operations hitting nearly 60 military targets around the strait—including air defense sites, radar systems, maritime assets, mine-laying capabilities, and communications sites. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent noted that exports hit a wartime record of more than 17 million barrels per day earlier in the week, though energy companies and industry analysts remain wary about the significant risks involved in sending ships through the strait, despite ongoing military escorts.