Tehran, Sept 2026 : Iran’s senior armed forces spokesman Abolfazl Shekarchi has rejected a claim by the US Central Command (CENTCOM) that American forces helped facilitate the movement of more than one billion barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz in recent months.
In a statement carried by Iranian media, Shekarchi described the claim made by CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper as “false and ridiculous”. He also accused the US military of using such statements as part of what he called a psychological operation aimed at raising the morale of American forces deployed in the region.
Shekarchi further alleged that Cooper’s remarks were intended to justify the financial costs and casualties incurred by the United States during its regional operations. He said such claims would not alter what he described as the reality of the US military’s removal from the region.
The Iranian official also maintained that the initiative and control over the Strait of Hormuz remained with Iran’s armed forces.
Cooper, in a video posted on social media on Saturday, said US forces had assisted more than 2,000 commercial vessel transits through the strategically important waterway by providing coordinated protection.
“We've reached this significant milestone while assisting over 2,000 commercial ship transits through the strait by providing coordinated protection,” Cooper said, according to remarks released by CENTCOM.
He added that US forces had supported the movement of more than one billion barrels of crude oil from Gulf partners through the Strait of Hormuz.
“Thousands of ships have passed through the strait. Over 1 billion barrels of crude have been shipped from Gulf partners through the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran has exported zero barrels thanks to our ironclad blockade,” Cooper said in remarks shared by the US command on X.
Cooper attributed the halt in Iranian oil exports to what he described as an “ironclad blockade” imposed by US forces.
The statements come amid heightened tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy shipping routes. The waterway connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea and is a key transit route for crude oil and other energy supplies.
According to the account cited in the report, Tehran restricted passage through the strategic waterway following US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28. The United States subsequently imposed a naval blockade targeting vessels travelling to or from Iranian ports.
The competing statements from Tehran and Washington reflect sharply different accounts of maritime activity and control around the Strait of Hormuz, with Iran maintaining that its armed forces retain the initiative while CENTCOM highlights US efforts to protect commercial shipping and energy flows.
