American Energy Secretary: US Navy Will Escort Merchant Ships Through the Strait of Hormuz "When Conditions Permit and It Is Reasonable"
American Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Friday, March 6, one week after the outbreak of the Middle East conflict, that the US Navy will escort merchant ships attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz "when conditions permit and it is reasonable."
Wright told Fox News, "Once conditions allow, we will escort the ships through the strait and ensure energy can be transported smoothly again."
According to data from analysis company Kpler, oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has dropped by 90% in the past week.
A report released by JPMorgan on Friday stated that commercial shipping through the strait is "almost at a standstill," with current activities "largely restricted by Iranian vessels." Meanwhile, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran claimed on Thursday that an Iranian missile hit an American oil tanker in the Gulf region.
Meanwhile, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKTMO) said that a tanker moored near Kuwait's coast experienced a "strong explosion," with one oil tank damaged and currently leaking oil.
US President Trump had previously posted on the Truth Social platform that if necessary, the US Navy "will do so as soon as possible" to escort ships through this strategic waterway.
The Strait of Hormuz is only about 50 kilometers wide, located between Iran's coast and Oman. Since Israel and the United States launched airstrikes on February 28, the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has effectively blocked shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, and about 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas transport passes through this critical passage.
Source: rfi
Original: toutiao.com/article/1858932771111936/
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