Oil and liquefied natural gas shipments through the Strait of Hormuz over the past two weeks reached their highest level in six months, signaling that U.S. naval protection and mine-clearance efforts are paying off, according to a regional U.S. commander. Admiral Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command, said in a video message that the strait's primary transit lanes are clear of mines and that Persian Gulf allies have shipped more than 1 billion barrels of crude through the waterway in the last couple of months. The increase comes amid a global squeeze on oil and petroleum products following months of Middle East supply disruptions. Iran maintains it has closed the strait, while regional negotiations over agreed shipping routes have faltered, and Saudi Arabia faced renewed attacks at the weekend as its air defenses intercepted a Houthi ballistic missile targeting Riyadh.
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