Hormuz Strait still flowing at 14 million barrels a day, says US Energy Secretary

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Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Sunday that despite renewed fighting with Iran, oil tankers continue to make it through the Strait of Hormuz.

Speaking to host Jonathan Karl on ABC’s “This Week,” Wright said: “We’re at a little under 14 million barrels a day from the Arabian Gulf region. That’s two-thirds of pre-conflict traffic, dramatically up from where we were back in March when I was last on your show. I mean, not 100% yet, but two-thirds of flow right now.”

Wright said that public reports indicating that most shipping traffic has stopped in recent days are just not true.

“Almost all the public data I’ve seen is incorrect,” he said.

Commenting on the war, Wright characterized the current combat, which led to American fatalities at a U.S. base in Jordan on Friday, as a resumption after a pause for talks that ultimately did not bring peace.

“Now what we’re doing is assuring that oil and gas and other products can flow through the Strait of Hormuz, with or without Iranian cooperation,” Wright told Karl.

Wright also said that President Donald Trump’s mission remains the same, preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

“The president’s mission is essential for peace in the Middle East,” he said, “and peace in the world.”