U.S. continues strikes to curb Iran's threat in Strait of Hormuz: commander

WASHINGTON, March 16 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. forces are continuing operations to weaken Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command, said Monday.

"We will continue to rapidly deplete Iran's ability to threaten the freedom of navigation in and around the Strait of Hormuz," Cooper said in a video statement posted on X.

However, the commander gave no details on how the United States would reopen the strait, the critical global energy waterway that Iran has effectively closed.

Cooper said Friday's U.S. strikes on Kharg Island, Iran's oil export hub, destroyed more than 90 military targets, including storage bunkers for naval mines and missiles.

In the past 16 days, U.S. forces have carried out more than 6,000 combat missions, destroying over 100 Iranian naval vessels, while Iran has fired hundreds of missiles and drones at targets in about 12 countries across the region, Cooper said.

The United States and Israel launched massive attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, disrupting global shipping and resulting in soaring oil prices and a volatile global economy.