US Treasury secretary Scott Bessent said the US Navy and warships from other countries would begin escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz “as soon as it is militarily possible”.
The prospect of US Navy escorts — or those from an international coalition — “was always in our planning”, he said.
“As soon as it is militarily possible, the US Navy, perhaps with an international coalition, will be escorting vessels through,” Bessent told Sky News.
Asked if there was the prospect of volumes through the strait improving, possibly in the coming days, Bessent said “it is a prospect” and added “we have complete control of the skies” and the US had degraded Iran’s naval and air forces.
“As soon as it is possible to ensure safe passage, we will do it,” Bessent said. He added that given some Iranian and Chinese-flagged tankers have passed through the Strait, Iran had “not mined” the crucial waterway.