US helped move 660 million barrels through Hormuz since May
What's new: Iran separately let some Iraqi tankers cross, highlighting ad hoc access as traffic stays well below prewar levels.
The U.S. military has assisted the transit of more than 660 million barrels of crude oil through the Strait of Hormuz since early May, according to Central Command, which said about 1,300 commercial vessels have passed with its help. The figure points to a recovery in flows after disruptions tied to the Iran war, though shipments remain far below the roughly 20 million barrels a day that moved through the strait before the conflict. In a separate development, Iran granted permission for a number of Iraqi oil tankers to pass after repeated requests from Baghdad, IRNA reported. Iraqi officials said the arrangement remains complicated as attacks continue and Iraq works to expand alternative export routes through Ceyhan, Baniyas and Aqaba.