US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the Strait of Hormuz could be bypassed within two years as oil shipments increasingly use land-based pipelines.
The strategic waterway remains crucial to global energy trade, while commercial traffic has recently fallen amid security threats and attacks.
Bessent's remarks came as US-Iran tensions continued to disrupt shipping and push oil prices higher.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Tuesday the Strait of Hormuz will be bypassed in two years, during a fireside chat with Larry Kudlow on the sidelines of the G20 finance ministers meeting in Asheville, North Carolina. He described the waterway as a “worthless piece of water”. He framed it as a challenge to the route’s long-standing role in global trade.
The Strait of Hormuz is a key global shipping and energy chokepoint. It has long been central to oil and maritime traffic. Any change in how much traffic depends on it matters for energy flows, freight movement and regional security.
Why Does The US Want To Bypass Strait Of Hormuz?
Bessent described the Strait of Hormuz as a “worthless piece of water”. He also said the strait would be bypassed in two years.
“We could see the Iranians are trying to use the Strait of Hormuz as a chokepoint. It's not a chokepoint for the US, but it is a choke point for many, many other countries. But you know that will be bypassed in two years. In two years, the straight of vermouth will be like a worthless piece of water that the the oil will be going on pipelines across land,” he said at the event.
How Can Oil Bypass The Strait Of Hormuz?
The Strait of Hormuz has long been central to oil and maritime traffic. It remains a key global shipping and energy chokepoint. The timeline in the report is two years.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump was asked if he ruled out using a nuclear weapon against Iran. He responded, "They're totally defeated militarily — so I defeat them and now I should use a nuclear weapon on top of them? What a stupid question."
The UKMTO report on Tuesday highlighted that commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained at reduced levels, with a modest uptick from recent lows, still far below baseline. Independent tracking data indicated suppression with single-digit numbers transiting in both directions. There remained a continued risk of drifting or uncharted mines in and near the TSS, with mine danger areas still active. Two confirmed attacks were reported.
IRGC attacks, attempted attacks, and/or harassment activity persisted including UAV overflight, targeted surveillance of merchant shipping, and occasional VHF hailing. These actions continue to demonstrate Iran’s intent to assert presence along key transit lanes and maintain pressure on transiting vessels, UKMTO report stated.
Iran has meanwhile called on the United States to honour its commitments under a June interim agreement, saying Tehran would reciprocate, as tensions rose after the first exchange of direct attacks between the two sides since late July and US President Donald Trump threatened further strikes against Iran.
The six-month-old conflict had shifted into an economic standoff before the US attack on Iran's Larak Island on Sunday, with sanctions, blockades and economic pressure increasingly shaping the confrontation. The United States attacked Iran's Larak Island on Sunday, prompting Tehran to launch missiles overnight at two US air bases in Jordan. According to Reuters, oil prices rose on Tuesday after the attacks and reports that two tankers came under fire while leaving the Strait of Hormuz, the global oil supply waterway that Iran has effectively closed to shipping.
