Its chief, Scott Bessent, said it has taken initiatives to ensure the passage of ships through the , rejecting its claims that it exercises control over that particular sea route.
What Besent said
Speaking to Fox News, he asserted that “the United States maintains full control of the Straits,” characterizing these actions as an international humanitarian mission aimed at restoring free navigation. As he said, “we are working to ensure the opening of the Straits. Iran is not in control of it and it’s worrying that it’s adopting its own propaganda,” adding that the U.S. stance boils down to the doctrine of “we only fire back when attacked.”
At the same time, he appealed to the international allies to intensify the pressure on Tehran.
He also referred to the effects of the crisis on the daily lives of US citizens, noting that increases in natural gas prices are affecting them, but estimated that there will be a rapid de-escalation once the situation normalizes.
He placed particular emphasis on China’s role, calling on Beijing to step up its diplomatic intervention and support efforts to reopen the Straits. As he said, the planned meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping is expected to be an opportunity to exchange views and to strengthen the consensus that had been formed in the past.
What came before
The above statements come at a time when the American side – in response to Iranian information about a strike against an American warship in the Straits of Hormuz which it denied – claims that at least two commercial ships proceeded to pass through the Straits under the surveillance of American forces. Accordingly, two American destroyers entered the Persian Gulf to effectively break Iran’s control of the passage.
Fire on a ship in the Straits
Concern over the Straits remains, however, despite US efforts to maintain full control. It is indicative that shortly after Besent was deployed, a South Korean cargo ship anchored in the Straits caught fire and suffered material damage.
The HMM Namu was docked near the United Arab Emirates and had 24 crew members, including six South Koreans and 18 foreigners. According to official reports, there are no casualties from the fire, the causes of which are being investigated as it cannot be ruled out that it was attacked.
