US Central Command (CENTCOM) chief Adm. Brad Cooper flew over the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday aboard a CH-47 Chinook helicopter to conduct a review of operations.
The command said the visit coincided with with a "milestone of assisting Gulf partners in exporting more than 1.5 billion barrels of crude oil since summer".
The statement added that US CENTCOM had supported more than 3,000 commercial vessels to transit the Strait of Hormuz in the last six months.
"We continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with our Gulf partners and the shipping industry," Cooper said . "This visit underscores our strong commitment to continued freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz."
The statement added that US forces had successfully cleared international shipping lanes in the strait of naval mines over recent months, alleging that the mines had been laid by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Cooper, it said, “met with service members who supported the mine-clearing mission and thanked them for their commitment and dedication.”
CENTCOM said that the main transit routes through the strait remain free of naval mines and that more than 95% of vessels sailing through it had “passed through safely” in recent months.
Meanwhile, Iran has tied the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to the fulfilment of its seven conditions, which include lifting the US naval blockade of its ports, easing sanctions on its oil exports, and halting hostilities on all fronts.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Washington must implement these conditions before the strait can be reopened, while reports have indicated that negotiations have stalled over disagreements concerning Iran’s demands.