<\/p>\nListen to this article<\/span>\u00a0|\u00a0<\/span>4 mins<\/span><\/p>\n<\/button>info<\/title><path class=\"icon-main-color\" d=\"M12 0a12 12 0 1 0 0 24 12 12 0 0 0 0-24Zm-.226 3.225a2.039 2.039 0 0 1 2.155 1.924v.193a1.998 1.998 0 0 1-2.155 2.149 2.029 2.029 0 0 1-2.146-2.15 2.039 2.039 0 0 1 1.955-2.122h.193l-.002.006Zm3.227 15.525a.75.75 0 0 1-.752.75H9.75a.75.75 0 0 1-.75-.75v-1.5a.75.75 0 0 1 .752-.75h.748V12h-.75a.75.75 0 0 1-.75-.75v-1.5a.75.75 0 0 1 .752-.751h3a.75.75 0 0 1 .75.752v6.75h.75a.75.75 0 0 1 .75.749L15 18.75Z\"\/><\/svg><\/button><\/div>\n<div aria-live=\"polite\" aria-atomic=\"true\">\n<p>The United States military is \u201cnot ready\u201d to accompany oil ships through the Strait of Hormuz, a top official in President Donald Trump\u2019s administration says as Iran continues to block the strategic waterway.<\/p>\n<p>US Energy Secretary Chris Wright told the CNBC business news channel on Thursday that the markets are experiencing a \u201cshort-term disruption\u201d, predicting that the war would go on for \u201cweeks, not months\u201d.<\/p>\n<section class=\"more-on\">\n<h2 class=\"more-on__heading\">Recommended Stories<!-- --> <\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">list of 3 items<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">end of list<\/span><\/section>\n<p>Despite Trump\u2019s repeated threats, Iran has largely succeeded in shutting down the strait, which links the Gulf to the Indian Ocean. The closure has sent oil prices soaring.<\/p>\n<p>Wright described the effects of the crisis as \u201cshort-term pain for long-term gain\u201d, arguing that the US is \u201cdestroying\u201d Iran\u2019s ability to threaten the energy market.<\/p>\n<p>Last week, Trump suggested that the US Navy would escort ships through the Gulf, but Wright said on Thursday that the move \u201ccan\u2019t happen now\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re simply not ready. All of our military assets right now are focused on destroying Iran\u2019s offensive capabilities and the manufacturing industry that supplies their offensive capabilities,\u201d the energy secretary said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe don\u2019t want this to be a brush-off for a year or two. We want to permanently destroy their ability to build missiles, to build roads, to have a nuclear programme.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"margin:0px;padding:0px\">His comments came as Iran\u2019s new supreme leader,\u00a0Mojtaba Khamenei, affirmed in his first public comment since being selected to succeed his assassinated father, Ali Khamenei, that the Strait of Hormuz should remain closed during the war.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe will of the people is to continue effective and deterrent defence,\u201d Khamenei said in a written statement. \u201cThe tactic of closing the Strait of Hormuz must also continue to be used.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Iranian military has said it would \u201cwelcome\u201d the US Navy escorting oil ships, suggesting it is prepared to strike US forces in the narrow waterway.<\/p>\n<p>On Wednesday, three commercial vessels were attacked near the strait.<\/p>\n<p>Wright announced earlier this week on social media that the US Navy had escorted an oil ship through the strait, then quickly deleted the post. The White House subsequently confirmed that the claim was not true.<\/p>\n<p>It is not clear why the statement was released and then retracted.<\/p>\n<p>Assurances by US officials that Washington would open the strait have temporarily calmed <span style=\"margin:0px;padding:0px\">markets, only for prices to<\/span>\u00a0spike again.<\/p>\n<p>The price of a barrel of oil peaked at about $120 on Sunday, up from about $70 before the US and Israel launched the war on February 28. It has been yo-yoing between $80 and $100 for the past few days.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to the marine blockade, Iran has targeted oil installations across the Gulf.<\/p>\n<p>As one of the world\u2019s largest oil producers, the US is largely self-sufficient. But possible shortages in Asia and Europe have put a strain on prices globally.<\/p>\n<p>According to data from the American Automobile Association, the average price of one gallon (3.78 litres) of petrol in the US is now $3.60, up from $2.94 last month.<\/p>\n<p>Rising energy prices could fuel inflation and affect the cost of basic goods, including food.<\/p>\n<p>But Trump suggested on Thursday that the US is benefitting from skyrocketing oil prices.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe United States is the largest Oil Producer in the World, by far, so when oil prices go up, we make a lot of money,\u201d the US president wrote in a social media post.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBUT, of far greater interest and importance to me, as President, is stopping an evil Empire, Iran, from having Nuclear Weapons, and destroying the Middle East and, indeed, the World.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Iran denies seeking a nuclear weapon, and Trump reiterated for months before the current conflict that US strikes against Iranian facilities in June had \u201cobliterated\u201d the country\u2019s nuclear programme.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Listen to this article\u00a0|\u00a04 mins info The United States military is \u201cnot ready\u201d to accompany oil ships through the Strait of Hormuz, a top official in President Donald Trump\u2019s administration says as Iran continues to block the strategic waterway. US Energy Secretary Chris Wright told the CNBC business news channel on Thursday that the markets […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14854,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14853","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-middle-east-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14853","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=14853"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14853\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/14854"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=14853"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=14853"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=14853"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}