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The US military said Sunday that it has helped Gulf countries ship more than 1.5 billion barrels of crude oil through the Strait of Hormuz since the summer, despite Iran’s ongoing attempts to control the waterway.

Getting into it: US Central Command said more than 3,000 commercial ships have made it through the strait with help from American forces over the past six months, and that over 95% of vessels have crossed safely in recent months. The numbers came out as CENTCOM chief Adm. Brad Cooper toured the area Sunday, flying over the strait in an Army CH-47 Chinook and meeting with the troops who cleared out sea mines the command says Iran’s Revolutionary Guard laid in international shipping lanes.

“Today, primary transit routes in the Strait of Hormuz remain free and clear of Iranian sea mines thanks to incredible efforts by our people,” Cooper said.

Iran has claimed control of the strait, which normally carries about a fifth of the world’s oil exports, since the US and Israel started striking the country on Feb. 28, and it has gone after ships that try to pass without its permission. The US has answered with military escorts and its own naval blockade of Iranian ports. Between those escorts, ship-to-ship transfers at sea and more oil moving through pipelines, Gulf exports outside Iran hit at least 16.5 million barrels a day in September, matching pre-war levels, according to tracking firm Kpler.

Despite this, prices haven’t followed, which has left Americans on both sides of the political aisle frustrated. That frustration has Republicans worried heading into next week’s midterm elections, with Democrats projected to take the House and “likely” the Senate. In recent polling of our audience on Instagram, cost of living and prices continue to be the number one issue for voters.