U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth meets at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, on March 2, 2026, amid the conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran.
Elizabeth Franz | Reuters
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday dismissed concerns that the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to the Iran war, which has led to soaring oil prices, will remain a long-term problem for the United States and the world.
“We’re dealing with this and there’s no need to worry,” Hegseth said at a Pentagon news conference.
Hegseth criticized media reports that said the U.S. military had no plans to reopen the Strait of Hormuz before the war began, saying it did have a plan.
Neither Mr. Hegseth nor Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Cain said how the United States would open the strait to oil tankers and other vessels.
On Thursday morning, Energy Secretary Chris Wright told CNBC that the U.S. Navy is not prepared to escort oil tankers through the strait. Hours later, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Sky News that the US Navy and possibly the international coalition would begin escorting ships through the Strait as soon as “militarily possible.”
Asked on Friday how soon the Strait of Hormuz would be open to traffic, Hegseth said: “The only thing that prohibits passage through the Strait at the moment is Iran firing at ships.”
“This is not a strait where you can’t fight, it’s not a strait where there is no flow of goods,” Hegseth said.
Asked about clearing Iranian mines in the Strait of Hormuz, Kaine said: “We maintain a wide range of options to resolve all issues.”
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