WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has warned that the Strait of Hormuz will reopen to international shipping “very soon”, cautioning that Iran would face severe consequences if the vital maritime route remains obstructed.
The president’s remarks come amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran and continued concerns over the security of commercial shipping in the Gulf region.
Speaking in an interview with Fox News, Trump said the strategically important waterway would either be opened in the near future or Iran would be “hit very hard”.
“The Strait is going to be open very soon — or they’re gonna get hit very hard, and then the Strait is going to be open,” Trump said, according to remarks shared by the White House’s Rapid Response account on X.
.@POTUS on Iran: “The Strait is going to be open very soon — or they’re gonna hit very hard, and then the Strait is going to be open.” pic.twitter.com/Phexz39YE8
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) August 5, 2026
Trump did not elaborate on the nature of any potential action against Iran or provide a timeline for reopening the shipping route.
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The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints, serving as the primary passage for a significant share of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas exports.
Any disruption to navigation through the waterway can have far-reaching implications for international energy markets and global trade.
Earlier on Tuesday, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that the United States could reach a deal with Iran by Wednesday to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, adding that restoring freedom of navigation through the strategic waterway would stabilise global energy prices.
“We are in talks with the Iranians, and I think there is a chance we may have a deal today or tomorrow to open the strait and move towards a more normalised position in this conflict,” Bessent said Tuesday in an interview with CNBC.
Asked if a deal would allow Iran to charge a toll on shipping using the strait, Bessent said: “I think it would be freedom of movement.”
Meanwhile, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Iran and Oman are continuing talks aimed at ensuring the safe flow of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
In comments carried by Iran’s IRIB broadcaster, Baghaei said the talks have “been assessed positively at both the technical and political levels” as Iran works to develop the needed “mechanisms” to manage traffic in the strait.
Bessent’s comments echoed those of US President Donald Trump on Monday, who insisted the waterway could reopen within hours after he pulled back from threats of a massive military strike on Iran.
Iran’s foreign ministry has denied that negotiations with Washington were taking place, and on Tuesday, an unknown projectile hit a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz, a key point of tension in the US-Iran conflict.
Bessent was upbeat on the impact a deal with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz would have on energy prices, where he said hundreds of ships are waiting to go out.
“Even though things are still a little dicey there over the past few days, we’ve (seen) quite a few ships coming out even now,” Bessent said.
“So you know, I’d expect the energy prices to settle back down, which, as I said, will be good for the entire world,” the US Treasury Secretary told CNBC.
