ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that, since last month, more than 100 million barrels of oil have transited the Strait of Hormuz despite Iranian restrictions, claiming a secret US military mission was carried out to support the tankers.

 The development comes as the US continues its naval blockade on Iranian ports in response to Iran’s closure of the vital waterway, which has seen global energy prices increase.

“Last month, I directed our Great U.S. Military to execute a secret mission to support Oil Tankers and other Commercial Ships through the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump wrote on the Truth social platform.

The effort has resulted in “more than 100 MILLION Barrels of Oil making its way through the Strait, and into the Open Market,” Trump added, noting that “more than 200 Commercial Ships have safely traveled through the Strait.”

While describing the puported U.S. mission in the Strait of Hormuz as a “wildly successful effort,” Trump professed that “the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA CONTROLS the Strait of Hormuz — NOT Iran.”

Earlier on Wednesday, the US and Iran exchanged fire in the early hours of the day following the Iranian army carrying out missile attacks against targets in response to American "self-defense" strikes, which Trump said were in response to Iran shooting down an Apache helicopter over the Strait of Hormuz. 

Trump also warned on Wednesday that they will "hit Iran hard today," threatening a peace process that appears to be struggling amid renewed skirmishes.

Restrictions on the passage of commercial tankers has wreaked devastating consequences for regional countries, with Iraq in particular suffering given its heavy reliance on the export route.

Iraq exported nearly 100 million barrels per day in February before the US-Iran war started, generating $6 billion. The number dropped to 18.6 million barrels and just shy of $2 billion for March, then less than 10 million barrels and barely over $1 billion for April.