CENTCOM: 400 ships cross Hormuz in seven days
Shafaq News- Washington
Nearly 400 commercial vessels crossed the Strait of Hormuz over the past seven days, while US forces helped Gulf partners ship more than 100 million barrels of oil last week, US Central Command (CENTCOM) chief Admiral Brad Cooper stated on Friday.
Cooper also disclosed that Washington had blocked Iranian crude exports worth at least $25 billion, depriving Tehran of revenues he argued would otherwise fund the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), allied armed groups, and military operations.
Update from CENTCOM Commander: https://t.co/YR9yHJ5IQB
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) October 16, 2026
He accused the IRGC of repeatedly attacking merchant vessels in the strategic waterway, citing International Maritime Organization (IMO) figures indicating that more than 20 civilian mariners have been killed in attacks on commercial shipping since February.
Earlier on Friday, Iran’s Navy detected a burning oil tanker east of the Strait of Hormuz, saying that the vessel had disabled its tracking systems while attempting to cross a prohibited zone in the Gulf of Oman. The Navy did not identify the tanker or clarify what caused the fire.
Iranian Army spokesperson Brig. Gen. Mohammad Akraminia separately claimed that US warships were operating more than 500 kilometers from Iran’s coastline, adding that Tehran had plans to push them farther away. He accused US forces of directing commercial vessels through a southern route in the Strait of Hormuz that exposed them to potential damage, urging shipowners to use Iran’s designated passage and coordinate their movements with Iranian forces.
