Hegseth says don't 'worry' about Strait of Hormuz, but US needs time to counter Iran's stranglehold

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Hegseth says don't 'worry' about Strait of Hormuz, but US needs time to counter Iran's stranglehold

Top Pentagon officials on Friday pledged to combat Iran's efforts to turn the Strait of Hormuz into a dangerous choke point for the world's oil supply as the critical waterway stands out as a key piece of terrain to control in the war.
Iran has said it will continue to seek to shut down the key waterway, which threatens the safe passage of oil tankers and could lead to devastating effects on fuel prices and other parts of the market. The Strait of Hormuz is a critical and narrow waterway through which about 20% of the world's oil flows.
"It's something we're dealing with, we have been dealing with it, and [you] don't need to worry about it," Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters at a Pentagon briefing, asserting the U.S. won't allow the strait to "remain contested."
"The only thing prohibiting transit in the strait right now is Iran shooting at shipping. It is open for transit should Iran not do that. Now, there's a reason why we chose as one of our primary objectives to destroy …