U.S. Army escorts 40 merchant ships passing through the Strait on Tuesday carrying 18 million barrels of oil

ON 3 SEPTEMBER, ACCORDING TO CNN, CITING TWO UNITED STATES OFFICIALS WHO WERE FAMILIAR WITH THE OPERATION, THE UNITED STATES MILITARY ESCORTED 40 MERCHANT SHIPS CARRYING 18 MILLION BARRELS OF OIL THROUGH THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ ON TUESDAY, UNITED STATES TIME. THIS FOLLOWED A NEW ROUND OF ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND IRAN ON TUESDAY. ACCORDING TO THE TWO OFFICIALS, THE UNITED STATES, USING A WIDE RANGE OF AIR, SEA AND SPACE FORCES, HAS RESISTED MULTIPLE DRONE ATTACKS AND CARRIED OUT HIGH-RISK ESCORTS FOR THESE SHIPS, WHICH CARRY MILLIONS OF BARRELS OF OIL, WHILE CONTINUING TO ATTACK IRAN ' S ABILITY TO ATTACK MERCHANT SHIPS IN THE STRAIT. ACCORDING TO ONE OFFICIAL, UNITED STATES FORCES ALSO INTERCEPTED AND DESTROYED ANTI-SHIP CRUISE MISSILES DURING ESCORT OPERATIONS. ACCORDING TO OFFICIALS, THE OPERATION WAS TAKING PLACE AT A TIME WHEN THE UNITED STATES WAS ADJUSTING ITS WAR STRATEGY. THE TRUMP GOVERNMENT IS CURRENTLY PRIORITIZING THE FIGHT AGAINST TARGETS AROUND THE STRAIT, THE PASSAGE OF MERCHANT SHIPS THROUGH THIS CRITICAL WATERWAY AND THE MAINTENANCE OF THE MARITIME BLOCKADE OF IRANIAN PORTS AS PART OF AN “ALL-OUT PRESSURE” ON THE IRANIAN REGIME'S LEADERSHIP TO EXERT GREATER ECONOMIC PRESSURE. DESPITE THE SUCCESS OF THE TUESDAY OPERATION, UNITED STATES OFFICIALS DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THE CONFLICT IS ABOUT TO BE RESOLVED QUICKLY. EVEN WITH UNITED STATES MILITARY ESCORTS, ENERGY COMPANIES REMAIN CONCERNED ABOUT THE ENORMOUS RISKS INVOLVED IN SENDING SHIPS THROUGH THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ. KIM XIAN