The United States military says more than 1.5 billion barrels of crude oil have been exported through the Strait of Hormuz with support from American forces, as Washington continues efforts to protect shipping in the strategic waterway.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) disclosed this on Sunday, stating that more than 3,000 commercial vessels had travelled through the strait under US military support over the past six months.

CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper visited the waterway aboard a US Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter and met military personnel involved in removing naval mines.

The command said US forces had cleared international shipping routes of mines allegedly laid by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Cooper said the main shipping corridors remained free of Iranian mines, with American forces working alongside government agencies, Gulf Cooperation Council countries and shipping companies to keep commercial traffic moving.

According to CENTCOM, more than 95 per cent of vessels travelling through the strait in recent months completed their journeys safely despite what it described as aggressive actions by the IRGC.

The military visit came as US President Donald Trump said Washington would not launch an attack on Iran on Sunday, while leaving open the possibility of a diplomatic agreement or further military action.

Speaking to Fox News, Trump also said the United States was monitoring developments at Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain site near the Natanz nuclear facility. The site has been described by Reuters as a heavily fortified location containing deeply buried tunnel complexes.

Trump has repeatedly threatened to strike the facility, while Iran maintains that no nuclear activities are taking place there. The US president also said he had received two differing intelligence assessments concerning Iran but indicated that Washington was making progress in its dealings with Tehran.

The Strait of Hormuz is a key international shipping route for oil exports from Gulf producers, making the security of commercial vessels passing through the waterway important to global energy supplies.