US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Wednesday it would be "quite logical" for a broad coalition of nations to cooperate in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, following President Donald Trump's effective request for South Korea and four other countries to deploy warships to the waterway.
"Every country in the world depends on commodities that pass through the Strait of Hormuz. At the top of that list is China, then Japan, South Korea, and every country in Asia," Wright said in an interview with ABC News. "The energy coming through the Strait of Hormuz primarily goes to these countries. These are the nations most immediately affected by this situation."
However, Wright emphasized that destroying Iran's military capabilities takes precedence. "The most important thing right now is to first finish completely destroying Iran's ability to project military power in this region and around the world," he said.
Asked whether the US Navy would play a role in opening the strait, Wright responded: "All of America's military assets, and as President Trump mentioned, military assets from other countries as well, will move together to reopen the strait."
He added: "Our focus right now is destroying Iran's military capabilities, including those specifically used to threaten the strait. We need to finish those missions first, and in the not-too-distant future, we will see the strait reopen."
The remarks suggest that neutralizing Iran's military capabilities must come before energy-importing nations like South Korea conduct escort operations for commercial vessels in the strait.
On rising oil prices, Wright predicted the conflict would "clearly end within the next few weeks, possibly sooner." He added: "After that, supply will recover and prices will fall."
Wright acknowledged short-term disruptions were anticipated. "We knew very well there would be short-term disruptions. We knew it would cause some price increases for the American people," he said. "But current prices are still far lower than during the Biden administration."
