By Shiyin Chen

Mar 21, 2026 (Bloomberg) - The US has stated that Iran's ability to threaten marine traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has been "degraded" after a recent military operation targeting a facility along the Iranian coast.

According to Admiral Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command, the military dropped multiple 5,000-pound bombs on an underground facility used to store equipment such as anti-ship cruise missiles and mobile missile launchers.

“Iran's capacity to threaten freedom of navigation in and around the Strait of Hormuz has decreased as a result of this action, and we will continue to target these threats,” Cooper said in a video posted on X. He also mentioned that the military had destroyed Iranian intelligence support sites and missile radar systems used for tracking ship movements.

Since the war began three weeks ago, shipping activity in the Strait of Hormuz, which is crucial for about 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas, has been largely halted, despite US efforts to reopen the channel. As a result, global energy prices have surged, prompting the Trump administration to take measures to reduce gas prices.