US says Iran’s oil exports blocked through Strait of Hormuz as global shipments continue

The United States has effectively blocked Iranian oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz while allowing millions of barrels of crude from other countries to reach global markets Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said describing the strategy as part of Washingtons efforts to weaken Tehrans economy without disrupting international energy suppliesRubio said between 13 million and 14 million barrels of oil were passing through the strategic waterway daily with American military forces escorting and protecting commercial vessels against Iranian attacksThe remarks made during an interview with Breitbart News on October 15 and released by the State Department on October 19 offered an account of Washingtons military and economic strategy in the GulfToday on average over the last 10 days and certainly over the last 30 about 13 to 14 million barrels of oil are going through the Straits of Hormuz out to the global market and some days itrsquos actually equivalent to what it was preconflict Rubio saidThe figures represent the administrations assessment and were not independently verified in the interviewThe Strait of Hormuz is one of the worlds most important energy corridors connecting oilproducing Gulf countries with international markets including India and other major Asian economiesRubio said American forces were helping maintain shipping movements despite continuing Iranian attacksAnd the US military is involved in escorting and defending these ships from these strikes he saidThe Secretary of State claimed that Iran had lost control of the waterway following American military operations and that Washington was now using sanctions and a blockade to restrict Tehrans oil revenuesThe only country in the world that cannot get a single barrel of oil through the Straits of Hormuz is Iran Rubio saidThe assertion was not accompanied by independent shipping data or figures showing the volume of Iranian exports affected by the restrictionsRubio said the administrations objective was to prevent Iran from using energy supplies and maritime security as instruments of pressure against other countriesHe argued that American military operations had significantly weakened Irans conventional capabilities including its naval forces air defences and facilities producing missiles and dronesAccording to Rubio the administration had sought to prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon while relying on conventional military capabilities to deter international interventionHe said Iran continued to threaten shipping even after losing much of its ability to control the straitRubio also defended the administrations economic measures against Tehran saying they were designed to reduce the resources available to Irans military and allied armed groupsEvery dollar you deny them in sanctions is a dollar they donrsquot have for Hizballah a dollar they donrsquot have for Hamas a dollar they donrsquot have for the terrorist militias inside of Iraq and a dollar they donrsquot have for their own military or their own nuclear ambitions he saidThe Secretary of State acknowledged public frustration over the continuing confrontation with Iran but maintained that Washington had achieved important military objectivesHe described the current American military role in the Strait of Hormuz primarily as defensive involving the protection of shipping while economic pressure continuedThe claims about Irans military losses oil exports and the effectiveness of the blockade could not be independently established from the interview aloneThe Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea It is a major transit route for crude oil and liquefied natural gas shipped from Gulf producers to international customers making disruptions particularly significant for energyimporting Asian economies