WASHINGTON: The US military is continuously working to keep the Strait of Hormuz open and secure, US Central Command (CENTCOM) commander Adm. Brad Cooper said, adding that Iran had not exported a single barrel of oil due to strict US sanctions.

Cooper said the US military had facilitated the exit of more than one billion barrels of crude oil through the strategic waterway over the past two months.

He added that US forces had helped more than 2,000 commercial vessels pass through the strait, while key transit routes remained clear of mines.

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“Oil and cargo traffic over the past two weeks is the highest in the last six months,” Cooper said.

He said the US was working with its allies in the region to strengthen their air defenses.

“We are working to form a new joint unit to counter-attack drones,” he said.