Trump Says Strait of Hormuz ‘Sort of Open Right Now,’ Scott Bessent Says It Will Soon Become ‘Irrelevant’
Trump and his administration play down Strait of Hormuz chaos as no big deal, say it won't matter soon.
Just a few days ago, President Donald Trump assured Americans that the United States was having “wonderful” conversations with Iranian leaders over operations in the Strait of Hormuz. However, in a widely circulated social media clip, the Secretary of the Treasury, Scott Bessent, is now telling a slightly different story.
While sitting for an interview with host Mark Curtis for 12 News on Friday, Bessent argued the Strait of Hormuz would never return to its former glory, as Iranians tried to use it as a “choke point.” He added, saying, over the next two years, it would “become irrelevant” and “just another body of water.”
Bessent also claimed that more than 50-70 percent of the energy that currently moves through the Strait of Hormuz would go through underground pipelines in the near future. In the full interview, Bessent was also questioned about tariffs and whether Americans who paid more due to them would get it back. Bessent expressed ambivalence about this matter, saying it was unclear whether the cost was borne by Americans or absorbed by corporations.
During an earlier interview, Bessent said something a bit different
In an interview on August 4, Scott Bessent said that the United States could reach a deal with Iran that day or the next to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. “There is a chance we may have a deal today or tomorrow to open the Strait and move towards a more normalized position in this conflict,” Bessent said to CNBC’s ‘Squawk Box.’
During this interview, Bessent also discussed whether opening the Strait of Hormuz would allow vessels to pass freely or if Iran would charge a toll. He said, “I think it would be freedom of movement and… even though things are still a little dicey there over the past few days, you know, we… saw quite a few ships coming out… even now. So, you know, I’d expect the energy prices to settle back down, which, as I said, will be good for the entire world.”
What Trump said about the same issue a few days ago
While speaking to Fox News last Wednesday, Trump echoed similar sentiments to those of Bessent’s just a day earlier. He insisted that the US was having “good” talks with Iran but noted that every time he spoke about these discussions, Iranian leaders tell everyone that they have not met with American officials.
He slightly shifted from the narrative the next day during an interaction with a journalist, suggesting he was less confident in the ongoing deliberations between the two countries. Speaking of how there is still some risk at hand despite the US Navy’s blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said, “They can always shoot something. They always have something or drop a mine. And if you have one mine sitting out there, you sort of mess things up because people don’t want to take their billion-dollar boats and accidentally get hit by a mine.”
Iran continues to say that despite what Trump claims, there are no negotiations underway, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi saying on August 9: “Iran is not currently engaged in negotiations with the United States… the exchange of messages through intermediaries does not constitute negotiations, while mediators continue their efforts to create the basis for resuming talks.”
Iran have now said they’ll re-open the Strait if the United States agees to never again threaten Iran, end the war, lift the naval blockade, withdraw military forces, pay damages to Iran, lift the sanctions, and release Iran’s “stolen assets”.
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