The U.S. military’s Project Freedom corridor along Oman’s side of the Strait of Hormuz expanded from about 5 million barrels per day in July 2026 to roughly 10 million later in the summer, but traffic remained below the strait’s normal 15 million to 20 million barrels daily. Conflicting Kpler data shows that more than 80% of vessels either used dark or unclassified routes or, under an earlier classification, favored the Oman-side corridor, making control of the waterway difficult to establish. Iran continued promoting its northern route and attacking or threatening shipping, while the United States provided naval protection, imposed a blockade on Iranian-linked shipping and claimed control of the southern lane.