Crude exports from the Gulf region have recovered to 7.5 million barrels a day, or half the 15 million barrels a day shipped before the war began, as US tanker escorts and defensive operations help reopen limited commercial routes through and around the Strait of Hormuz. TankerTrackers.com said 5 million barrels a day passed through the strait during the 28 days after US-Iran clashes resumed, while another 2.5 million barrels a day moved through Gulf of Oman ports including Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates. Iranian crude exports have been sharply constrained since a memorandum of understanding (MOU) expired, with Samir Madani of TankerTrackers.com saying Iran lacks the capacity to halt all traffic. The United States has used mine-clearing operations and built a multilayered air defense network, but traffic remains depressed after renewed attacks on tankers. Kpler recorded an average of 10 transport vessels a day crossing the strait in the 10 days through Sept. 6, the lowest level since May. Washington is seeking greater allied support, including from South Korea, while Iran has warned that countries contributing troops or military operations in the Persian Gulf or Strait of Hormuz would be viewed as supporting the aggressor. Former US defense secretary Leon Panetta said the conflict could last more than six months and become another failed war in the Middle East.