U.S. escorts 40 ships through Strait of Hormuz

The U.S. military escorted 40 commercial vessels carrying approximately 18 million barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, marking the largest single-day wartime escort operation since the conflict with Iran began more than six months ago. The mission was conducted simultaneously with U.S. strikes on nearly 60 Iranian military targets around the strategic waterway, as American forces defended the convoy against waves of drone attacks and intercepted an antiship cruise missile. The escort operation, which represented roughly 90% of a normal prewar day's oil flow through the strait, utilized a combination of air, naval, and space-based assets. U.S. forces not only protected the commercial vessels but also continued strikes against Iranian capabilities that could threaten shipping in the area. The ships, flagged by nations including Saudi Arabia and France, largely turned off their transponders to avoid detection during the transit. The strikes targeted air defense sites, radar systems, maritime assets, minelaying capabilities, and communications facilities along Iran's southern coast.