The United States has effectively taken control of the Strait of Hormuz and has quietly facilitated the movement of more than 100 million barrels of oil through the strategic waterway, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth declared on 11 June. Speaking at US Central Command (CENTCOM) headquarters in Florida, Hegseth disclosed new details of what he described as a largely covert maritime operation designed to keep one of the world's most critical energy corridors open while sustaining pressure on Iran.

The Undisclosed Operation

Hegseth revealed that an initiative referred to as 'Project Freedom' — centred on moving commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz — had continued in a clandestine form even as public attention shifted. 'Project Freedom — the idea of running ships through the Strait of Hormuz — it never stopped, it just went underground,' he said. 'There are some things the public knows and some things the public doesn't know, but ultimately, we've been protecting commercial shipping going through the Strait of Hormuz.'

The Pentagon chief stated that the operation had enabled more than 100 million barrels of oil to transit the narrow chokepoint under American military protection. 'They can't see it, and they can't stop it,' Hegseth said, referring to Iranian forces.

Blockade in Numbers

According to CENTCOM, US forces have disabled eight non-compliant vessels since the maritime blockade began in April, redirected 134 ships, and permitted 42 vessels carrying humanitarian assistance to proceed. On the same day as Hegseth's address, CENTCOM separately confirmed that US forces had disabled another tanker attempting to transport Iranian oil — the Palau-flagged M/T Settebello — after its crew repeatedly ignored instructions from American forces while transiting the Gulf of Oman.

A Shift in Gulf Power Balance

Hegseth argued that combined US maritime and military operations had fundamentally redrawn the balance of power in the Gulf. 'If our blockade is ironclad, which it is, and we are able to move commercial shipping in and out of the Strait of Hormuz, who controls the Strait of Hormuz? The United States of America controls the Strait of Hormuz,' he said.

He further contended that American forces had degraded Iranian military capacity across multiple domains. 'Add that to what the United States military with Central Command did to their navy, to their air force, to their air defences, to their power projection capabilities,' Hegseth said. 'We know exactly on this ledger who's on the strong end and who is not.'

Strategic and Energy Implications

The Strait of Hormuz is the world's most critical oil transit chokepoint, with roughly 20% of global petroleum supplies passing through it annually, according to energy data. Hegseth linked the mission explicitly to a broader US strategy of restricting Iranian oil exports while keeping international commercial shipping lanes open. This comes amid sustained US-Iran tensions following military exchanges earlier this year, and marks a significant escalation in Washington's direct maritime posture in the region.

How Iran responds — and how global energy markets absorb the confirmation of an active US-run blockade — will shape the next phase of Gulf security dynamics.