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United States Central Command (CENTCOM) said Wednesday that American forces have helped about 1,000 vessels and 500 million barrels of crude oil pass through the Strait of Hormuz since early May.
"Fact: The Strait of Hormuz is an international waterway," CENTCOM wrote on X.
"The IRGC has no authority to dictate routes for free and open traffic flow," it said, referring to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
CENTCOM said it was responding to what it described as the IRGC's continued claim that international mariners should only use routes preferred by the Iranian force.
The U.S. military said the IRGC had recently threatened and attempted to attack commercial vessels and mariners transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
"Commercial vessels continue to use the strait with U.S. military support," CENTCOM said.
Tensions between the United States and Iran have escalated in recent weeks, with Washington carrying out attacks on Iran and Tehran responding by targeting U.S. military facilities and equipment in countries across the region.
The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned eight oil tankers and 10 companies Wednesday that it accused of helping Iran transport and sell crude oil in violation of American sanctions.
The Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) added the firms and vessels to its Specially Designated Nationals list, citing Executive Order 13902, which targets Iran's petroleum and petrochemical sectors.
The Treasury said the designations also advance President Donald Trump's National Security Presidential Memorandum 2 (NSPM-2), which calls for maximum economic pressure on Iran.
Among the newly designated entities are Hong Kong-registered shipping companies, including Billion Nexus Int'l, Confident Apex, Marinova Freight, Nevada Spirit and Qi Hang Ship Management.
Marshall Islands-based Branch Saying International Trading, Ocean Tranquility and Vast Mighty were also designated.
The Treasury said the eight vessels and their linked companies have collectively moved millions of barrels of Iranian crude oil and petroleum products to China and the United Arab Emirates, in some cases dating to 2022.
Two Iran-based firms, Hormuzsafe Marine Services Authority and Persian Gulf Marine Insurance Company, were also designated.
The Treasury described the firms as operating in the financial and insurance sector and subject to secondary sanctions.
State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the two Iranian entities were backed by the IRGC and accused them of running coercive "insurance" schemes targeting international shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
"These entities manufacture risk, including the threat of vessel seizures, and then charge commercial vessels for coverage against dangers created by the regime itself, generating revenue that sustains IRGC operations and Iran's broader campaign of regional destabilization," Pigott said.
The eight tankers named in the designations include the Al Salmi, Breeze V, Crystal, Lily, Natsumi, Nireta, Well Sail and Yehope.
They were linked to the designated companies and flagged in countries including Barbados, Vanuatu, the Marshall Islands and Mozambique.
Pigott said the designations support U.S. Navy enforcement of a blockade on Iranian ports and coastline and are part of a broader campaign that has sanctioned more than 100 vessels in 2026 as part of Iran's "shadow fleet."
"Today's action was taken pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13902, which targets Iran's financial, petroleum, and petrochemical sectors," Pigott said.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Iran's economy was under severe pressure and accused Tehran of seeking cash through illicit shipping networks.
"The United States will not allow Iran to hold global commerce hostage or use international shipping to finance the IRGC's terrorism, aggression, and repression," Bessent said.
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