Florida [US], September 19 (ANI): US Central Command commander Admiral Brad Cooper has shared an operational assessment detailing security and trade milestones secured by American forces in West Asia.
Cooper delivered these remarks in a video message posted on X, stating that "CENTCOM forces have supported more than one billion barrels of crude oil leaving the Gulf. That's one billion barrels of crude oil out through the Strait of Hormuz in the last couple of months."
He noted that significant milestones have been reached while assisting commercial traffic, stating, "We've reached this significant milestone while assisting over 2,000 commercial ship transits through the Strait by providing coordinated protection. Clearly, momentum is building. Primary transit lanes in the Strait are clear of mines."
Detailing the shipping volume and regional blockade, Cooper said, "Thousands of ships have passed through the Strait. Over one 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."
He added that collaborative efforts are ongoing to optimise trade flows: "Even with this progress, we remain clear-eyed and laser-focused as we work with our teammates in the US interagency as well as all six partners in the Gulf Cooperation Council, known as the GCC, as well as insurance and shipping companies to increase the volume of traffic flow through the Strait of Hormuz."
Highlighting tangible results, Cooper stated, "The effort is paying off. The volume of crude oil, cargo, and liquid natural gas these past two weeks is higher than at any point in the past six months."
Furthermore, he outlined broader regional security initiatives: "We're also working with every partner in the region, enhancing their air defence, forming a new coalition attack drone unit, and keeping the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters open and clear."
Praising the personnel, Cooper remarked, "The average American doing this important work is in their mid-20s. There are pilots, maintainers, logisticians, culinary specialists, air defenders, intelligence analysts, and members of every other career field that make up America's military, the greatest force on earth," while concluding with a message for the forces to "stay focused and keep up the great work."
Amid these regional developments, US President Donald Trump released a list of what he termed his "TOP 25 TRUMP ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF TERM THREE" ahead of the November midterm elections, focusing on military operations by claiming the US had "obliterated Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity" through Operation Midnight Hammer and Operation Epic Fury to ensure Tehran would "NEVER have a nuclear weapon".
However, the human and material financial toll of the ongoing war involving the United States and Iran has reportedly exceeded previous disclosures, with congressional updates indicating total expenses have reached USD 45.1 billion alongside emerging reports suggesting US military fatalities could surpass official public figures.
According to sources cited by CNN, the Pentagon informed lawmakers that the war had accrued expenses amounting to USD 43.6 billion as of September 3, with an additional USD 1.5 billion allocated toward supplementary fuel requirements, noting this omits installation repairs and broader operational expenses.
This updated financial metric exceeds Congressional Budget Office projections estimating outlays at USD 38 billion through August 1, with the CBO further projecting continued monthly expenditures ranging from USD 2 billion to USD 3 billion for the duration of the war.
Concurrently, investigative reporting by The Washington Post, drawing on insights from six US officials acquainted with internal military casualty tracking, indicated that fatalities among American service members in West Asia may have reached at least 22, standing higher than the 18 fatalities officially documented in the Pentagon's public registry.
One official cited an even higher toll of 23, noting certain casualties occurred among regional personnel amid active hostilities rather than solely through direct combat engagements, alongside three contractor deaths, while the Pentagon declined to comment on these statistical discrepancies. (ANI)
US CENTCOM commander reaffirms joint efforts to secure Strait of Hormuz navigation
