US Energy Secretary: Strait of Hormuz to Be Reopened by This Summer at the Latest

Odaily Planet Daily News: According to a report by The Hill, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright stated on Friday local time that the Strait of Hormuz will be "reopened sometime this summer at the latest." Wright said the U.S. is "continuing to expand American natural gas exports," noting that although the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has resulted in a daily loss of 10 billion cubic feet of natural gas transport capacity, the U.S. is still adding 2.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas export capacity each day. "Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz will resume as soon as possible, but at the latest by this summer," Wright said, adding that a related agreement could be reached as early as "within the next few days." Wright stated that if Iran "continues to hold the global economy hostage," the U.S. military will "forcibly reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but this will not be an easy task." "We have taken preliminary steps, but a better way is to reach an agreement rather than resorting to military force." (Jinshi)