- US Energy Secretary Chris Wright says a safe shipping corridor is enough to resume traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, without waiting for full demining.
- Pentagon estimates full mine clearance could take up to six months, but a targeted pathway could reopen in weeks.
- The strait has been largely shut since late February, disrupting global oil flows and pushing up fuel prices.
The Strait of Hormuz could resume operations without complete mine clearance, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Monday, suggesting a limited but secure corridor would allow oil tankers to restart passage much sooner than previously thought.
“A safe shipping corridor is what’s needed, not full demining,” Wright said in an interview. The comments mark a shift from earlier Pentagon assessments, which had warned that restoring the waterway could take up to six months if all mines had to be cleared first.
According to people familiar with the matter, the Pentagon has briefed lawmakers that full demining remains a lengthy process, but that a narrow corridor could be established far more quickly. The strait, through which about 20% of the world’s oil passes, has been largely closed since late February after Iran laid mines, according to US officials.
Oil prices, which spiked in March, eased slightly on Wright’s statement, though traders remain cautious. “Without a deal, the market will stay volatile,” said one energy analyst who asked not to be named.
The US has been in talks with regional partners about convoy protection and mine-countermeasure capabilities. Wright declined to give a precise timeline but expressed optimism that traffic could resume “in weeks.”
Iran has not commented directly on the proposal. Attempts to reach the Iranian mission to the UN were unsuccessful.
Correction: An earlier version of this article misstated the duration of full mine clearance. It is up to six months, not four.