CENTCOM: Iran's $25 Billion Oil Exports Blocked

Admiral Brad Cooper, Commander of CENTCOM, stated in a video announcement on the command's social media account that Iran's military capacity has been significantly weakened following attacks organized by U.S. forces. Cooper noted that as a sign of U.S. determination, a strict naval blockade was implemented twice and is still in effect, allowing for humanitarian aid exceptions but preventing Iran from exporting or importing by sea. He stated that Iran's export of at least $25 billion worth of crude oil has been blocked and that they supported the freezing of approximately $350 million worth of digital crypto assets in cooperation with other U.S. agencies.

Addressing the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, Cooper reported that control of the strait is in the hands of the U.S. and its regional partners, and it remains fully open to commercial passage. Cooper noted that approximately 400 commercial ships passed through the strait in the last 7 days, and U.S. forces supported their Gulf allies in shipping over 100 million barrels of crude oil during the same period. He stated that the total crude oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz in recent months have exceeded 1.3 billion barrels.

In a briefing note published by CENTCOM, it was claimed that the frozen financial resources have caused significant disruptions in the Iranian economy. According to the note, Iran is experiencing income and payment difficulties in numerous sectors, including energy and oil, steel and heavy industry, manufacturing, automotive, aviation, construction, security, and military.