U.S. says military escorted 1 billion barrels of oil

Military escort figures

The U.S. military has escorted shipments totaling 1 billion barrels of oil and more than 2,000 commercial vessels out of the Persian Gulf during the past several months, U.S. Central Command leader Adm. Brad Cooper said Saturday.

Cooper announced the figures in a video as fighting in the region continued to put pressure on oil supplies and shipping routes. The figures describe the volume of oil and number of commercial vessels accompanied by the military during the operation.

The announcement was part of broader updates reported by CBS News on the conflict involving Iran and Iranian-backed groups.

Attacks put pressure on oil infrastructure

The Iranian-backed Houthi militia in Yemen expanded its attacks on Saudi Arabia on Saturday. The group targeted oil storage at Riyadh’s international airport and Aramco facilities in Yanbu, according to CBS News. Saudi officials also said their forces intercepted a ballistic missile fired at Riyadh.

The Houthis control large sections of Yemen’s Red Sea coastline and several islands in the Bab al-Mandab Strait. Fighting between the group and Saudi Arabia has intensified in recent weeks, adding pressure to an already strained global oil supply.

Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline was damaged earlier in the month by drone strikes believed to have been carried out by Iranian-backed militias operating in Iraq.

U.S. embassies across the Middle East issued security alerts early Sunday local time. The State Department urged Americans to remain vigilant and warned about possible flight cancellations, airspace closures and travel disruptions as tensions continue.