Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent publicly confirmed Sunday that US-Israeli military campaigns are explicitly aimed at destroying Iranian fortifications positioned along the Strait of Hormuz, according to reporting.
Bessent's statement marks the first high-level US fiscal official confirmation that Hormuz infrastructure—not merely Iranian nuclear or military assets—constitutes a primary military objective. The disclosure comes as President Trump's 48-hour ultimatum approaches expiration Monday, adding direct military pressure to the diplomatic ultimatum.
For energy shipping, the implications are profound: destruction of Iranian coastal defenses could theoretically facilitate military escort of civilian LNG and crude tankers through the strait. However, such operations would transform Hormuz from a merchant shipping corridor into an active war zone, introducing extreme vessel risk premiums. Global LNG traders face an unprecedented choice: remain blockaded with predictable supply gaps, or risk transit through militarized waters where civilian vessels become incidental to interstate conflict.