More than 95% of ships navigate Strait of Hormuz safely despite Iranian 'aggression,' US military says

Commercial shipping across the Strait of Hormuz has achieved a safety rate exceeding 95% in recent months, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Sunday. "In recent months, over 95% of ships navigating the Strait of Hormuz have sailed through safely despite the IRGC's unwarranted aggression," CENTCOM, which oversees military operations in the region, said in a statement, referring to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. American troops reached the "milestone of assisting Gulf partners in exporting more than 1.5 billion barrels of crude oil since summer," the command said. "We continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with our Gulf partners and the shipping industry," CENTCOM commender Adm. Brad Cooper said as he visited the waterway. CENTCOM reported that American forces have assisted more than 3,000 merchant vessels in navigating the chokepoint over the past six months, noting that momentum expanded after US dismantled naval mines deployed across international sea lanes by the IRGC. Control over the Strait of Hormuz remains a central friction point in the Iran war, which erupted in late February following joint US-Israeli strikes. The war has yet to be settled despite a ceasefire and a memorandum to conclude a final peace deal.