The Strait of Hormuz Is Losing Its Strategic Importance, Says Trump
The dependence of global markets on the Strait of Hormuz may gradually decrease thanks to the development of new pipelines and overland routes for transporting oil in the Middle East.
According to the U.S. president, alternative oil transport routes are being actively developed in the region, which could reduce the global market’s dependence on the Strait of Hormuz in the future.
“There are many alternatives to the Strait of Hormuz today. The Strait of Hormuz is no longer what it used to be,” Trump said.
He noted that new pipelines are being built in the Middle East, which will create additional opportunities for transporting energy resources.
In addition, according to Trump, significant volumes of oil are already being transported by truck through Syrian territory.
The U.S. president linked the development of these new routes to Iran’s stance and its actions in the region.
Trump stated that if Tehran does not change its approach, the strategic role of the Strait of Hormuz for global markets could diminish significantly.
“If Iran doesn’t come to its senses—and I’m not sure they’re capable of doing so—it will soon be left with the Strait of Hormuz, which won’t be very useful,” the White House chief noted.
During the briefing, Donald Trump also commented on the hostilities between the U.S. and Iran.
He stated that he does not consider the current confrontation to be a full-scale war, calling it a military conflict.
“I call it a military conflict. For us, it’s a minor issue; it’s not a big deal,” Trump said.
Thus, the U.S. president believes that developing alternative routes could reduce the dependence of global oil trade on the Strait of Hormuz, which has long been one of the key routes for transporting energy resources from the Persian Gulf.
U.S. President Donald Trump made this statement during a briefing in the Oval Office of the White House.
On Tuesday, the U.S. military escorted 40 commercial vessels carrying 18 million barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran stated that during a nighttime operation, it had laid additional sea mines along routes south of the Strait of Hormuz. This was reported on social media platform X by Hatem al-Anbia Central Command spokesperson Ebrahim Zolfaghari.
