Strait of Hormuz can be opened without complete demining, - US Treasury
U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright noted that there is no need to completely clear the waters of mines in order to resume shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. It is sufficient to establish a safe passage for ships, and, in his assessment, this can be achieved in a short time.
Wright made this statement during the "Three Seas" summit held in Dubrovnik, according to Censor.NET, citing Bloomberg.
Safe corridor
In particular, he emphasized that establishing a single safe corridor would be sufficient to resume oil tanker traffic, and that this could be achieved fairly quickly. At the same time, according to information from the Pentagon presented at a closed-door briefing for Congress, it could take up to six months to completely clear the strait of mines.
Following the outbreak of hostilities between the United States, Israel, and Iran, Tehran blocked key shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz. Since late February, shipping traffic there has effectively come to a standstill, even though this route previously carried about one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas.
This has already had serious consequences: disruptions to supply chains and a sharp rise in energy prices—particularly for oil, diesel, and gasoline. In the U.S., this is happening on the eve of the midterm elections, where Donald Trump’s Republican Party will attempt to gain control of Congress.
Due to the high risks—including mines, potential hijackings, and general danger—shipping companies are currently avoiding this stretch of water.
New Energy Initiatives
In addition, Wright announced that "historic" agreements on pipeline supplies are being prepared as part of the so-called "peaceful pipeline agenda" initiated by Trump. These agreements are expected to significantly increase the supply of American energy resources to European countries.
What happened before?
Earlier, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Iran is attempting to maintain control over the Strait of Hormuz, which is unacceptable to Washington. He emphasized that the United States supports freedom of navigation and will not allow restrictions on international shipping.
Donald Trump also stated that U.S. negotiators would not participate in talks with Iran in Pakistan, but that Tehran could contact the U.S. directly to resolve the situation.
French President Emmanuel Macron stated that he is trying to persuade the United States and Iran to reach an agreement on restoring normal shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.
- By the way, we previously reported that four Ukrainian minesweepers currently stationed in the United Kingdom may join the international mission to clear mines in the Strait of Hormuz.
