US 'Nearly 2k ships stranded near Strait of Hormuz amid Gulf tensions'

Nearly 2,000 vessels are waiting to leave the Gulf amid disruptions linked to tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said.

The disclosure by a top Trump?s Cabinet member offers a rare glimpse into the scale of the shipping backlog that has developed around the strategic waterway, through which a significant portion of the world?s oil and liquefied natural gas exports normally pass.

?There are almost 2,000 ships waiting to come out of the gulf,? Bessent told reporters during a White House briefing.

Despite the congestion, he expressed



confidence that global markets would be able to absorb the disruption once shipping resumes.

?I think the oil market?s going to be very well supplied on the other side of this, and that we could see prices come down very quickly,? he said.

The Strait of Hormuz has become a central issue in the Trump administration?s ongoing discussions with Iran, with Bessent repeatedly stressing that restoring freedom of navigation is one of Washington?s key objectives.

?The Strait of Hormuz has to free transit. Navigation of the seas has to be free and open as it was before,? he said.