US says Iran barred from maritime trade as pressure campaign targets oil revenue, military funding

US Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Admiral Brad Cooper claimed Friday that Iran has been cut off from maritime imports and exports as Washington intensified its campaign against Tehran's oil revenue and military funding.

In a video message, Cooper said US efforts focused on three areas: restricting Iranian oil exports, disrupting digital financing and weakening the ability of Iran's security forces to pay their personnel.

"As a point of emphasis, with the exception of the humanitarian assistance we've allowed in, Iran has no exports and no imports by sea," Cooper said.

He said US forces have prevented Iran from exporting at least $25 billion worth of crude oil in recent months.

"CENTCOM has also supported US interagency partners in freezing nearly $350 million in digital cryptocurrency assets, further constricting Iran's ability to fund terrorism or replace weapons and factories that we destroy," he said.

Cooper claimed that Iran-aligned groups operating across the region had begun withholding payments to their fighters to redirect funds to the IRGC, which he said was also struggling to pay its personnel.

Read: Iran president says conflict in Mideast amounts to 'ecocide'

According to Cooper, the IRGC was also struggling to pay its personnel.

"The Islamic regime is clearly feeling the economic pain, and the IRGC is increasingly showing signs of greater desperation as a result," he said.

US claims Strait of Hormuz remains open

Despite the restrictions on Iranian maritime trade, Cooper said commercial shipping continued through the Strait of Hormuz.

He accused Iran of attacking commercial vessels and said US forces were working with regional allies and shipping industry partners to strengthen maritime security.

"Let me be clear: the Strait of Hormuz is controlled by the United States and our regional partners, not Iran, and it remains open for business," Cooper said.

He said approximately 400 merchant ships had transited the strait over the previous seven days.

He added that US forces had assisted Gulf partners in transporting more than 100 million barrels of crude oil through the waterway during the same period, bringing the total volume shipped with US assistance in recent months to more than 1.3 billion barrels.

Strait of Hormuz transits remain 70% below pre-conflict levels: UK maritime agency

Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained about 70% below pre-conflict levels as attacks on commercial vessels continued, a UK maritime agency said Friday.

In its weekly overview, the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency (UKMTO) reported 125 outbound and 129 inbound transits over the past seven days.

The figures marked a decline from 129 outbound and 146 inbound transits recorded the previous week, according to the agency.

UKMTO reported 12 attacks on vessels during the week, including 10 in the Strait of Hormuz, one in the Gulf and one in the Gulf of Oman. Six vessels continued or reached port, one was lost, two were disabled or not under command, and three have unconfirmed outcomes.

Container ship sinks after projectile strike

UKMTO said a container ship was struck by an unidentified projectile near Ras Shaykh Masud on October 13.

The vessel caught fire and sank the following day, according to the agency.

All crew members were evacuated, UKMTO said.

The agency warned that it was struggling to establish the actual number of attacks because most targeted vessels declined to report incidents.

UKMTO said it had recorded 84 incidents in the Strait of Hormuz since the conflict began in late February.

The reported attacks came amid continued tensions between Iran and the US over navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

The waterway is a major route for global energy and commodity shipments and remains a key issue in negotiations between Washington and Tehran.

Iran says oil tanker hit naval mine in Strait of Hormuz

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said Friday that an oil supertanker struck a naval mine in the Strait of Hormuz, triggering a massive explosion and fire.

The vessel was carrying more than 2 million barrels of crude oil when it attempted to transit the strategic waterway, according to a statement carried by the semi-official Tasnim News Agency.

The IRGC Navy described the vessel as a "rogue" tanker that had switched off its navigation and radar systems.

It claimed the tanker had attempted to exploit US military support to transport goods through the strait.

The statement did not identify the vessel, its owner or flag.

It also provided no information about possible casualties or the extent of the damage.

The conflict began with US and Israeli attacks against Iran on February 28, followed by a ceasefire in April.

Clashes between Washington and Tehran later resumed as negotiations stalled, although the two sides signed a framework agreement in June.