Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the United States is allowing Iranian oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, according to CNBC. He noted that the United States believes that Iran is allowing the gradual reopening of the route, adding that Washington is satisfied with the situation for now as it wants to ensure adequate global energy supplies.
“The Iranian ships have already gotten out and we’ve left it to supply the rest of the world,” Bessent said. He further mentioned, “We think there will be a natural opening that the Iranians are releasing, and we’re fine with that for now. We want the world to be well supplied.”
Tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has fallen sharply since Iran attacked merchant vessels in the Persian Gulf. However, despite the significant presence of the US Navy in the region, Tehran continues to transport millions of barrels of oil through the narrow maritime corridor, exporting roughly 1.5 million barrels a day.
Bessent said Washington expects tanker traffic through the strait to pick up before U.S. and allied naval forces begin escorting merchant ships. He added that tankers supplying India have already passed through the route, and the United States also believes some Chinese vessels have successfully left the gulf, the report said.
Trump says some countries are “not excited” about helping to reopen the Strait of Hormuz
US President Donald Trump on Monday renewed calls for other countries to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, while expressing dismay that some states have shown limited willingness to support Washington’s efforts.
He called for international cooperation to secure the strategic waterway after Iran retaliated against US-Israeli attacks by deploying drones, missiles and sea mines, actions that effectively disrupted tanker traffic on the route that normally carries about a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies.
At a White House event, Trump said, according to Reuters, “Some are very excited about it and some are not. Some are countries that we’ve helped for many, many years. We’ve protected them from terrible outside sources and they’re not that excited. And the level of enthusiasm matters to me.”
LPG tanker Shivalik arrives at Mundra port in Gujarat after crossing the Strait of Hormuz
Meanwhile, India’s LPG carrier Shivalik, carrying about 40,000 metric tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas, arrived at Mundra port in Gujarat on Monday evening.
The vessel arrived after safely leaving the Strait of Hormuz the previous night or early morning.
During an inter-ministerial briefing on recent developments in West Asia held in New Delhi, Rajesh Kumar Sinha, Special Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways said that documentation procedures and priority berths have been arranged at the port to ensure that cargo can be unloaded without delay, according to ANI.
He also noted that another Indian LPG carrier, the Nanda Devi, is expected to arrive at the port on Tuesday.
