US Energy Secretary Chris Wright made assessments on the latest situation in the Strait of Hormuz during an interview at the Reuters Global Energy Forum. When asked about the number of ships passing through the strait since the signing of the memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran, Wright replied, "I can say approximately 72 ships and 20 million barrels of oil in the last 24 hours."
Wright stated that before the memorandum of understanding was signed, the amount of oil passing through the strait was at a level of 7 million barrels per day, and today that figure has reached 20 million barrels. Referring also to shipments via pipelines, Wright claimed that the flow of oil from the Persian Gulf today is at a higher level compared to before the conflict.
The US secretary argued that Iran's mining of the shipping channel has delayed the flow in the Strait of Hormuz, and that a full return to normal requires clearing the strait of mines, which would take several weeks of work.
Stating that the US can secure the flow of energy from the Gulf whether or not there is a deal with Iran, Wright said, "Iran will not have the ability to close the Strait of Hormuz from now on. This is a critical issue; it was their most important leverage, and we are taking that leverage away from them."