Bessent: U.S. Has “Absolute Control” of the Strait of Hormuz, “If The Iranians Want To Escalate Here, We Are Willing To Escalate”
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent declared that the United States has “absolute control” over the Strait of Hormuz and threatened Iran’s “mosquito navy” not to fire upon any ships. “We are saying the Iranians do not have control of the Strait,” Bessent told FOX News host John Roberts on ‘America’s Newsroom’ today. “We have absolute control of the strait. We have blockaded the ships going into or out of Iranian ports. Their economy is in freefall.”
BILL HEMMER, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: So, with us here in New York is the Treasure Secretary, Scott Bessent, who has been a very busy man as of late. And good morning to you and thank you for your time here. SCOTT BESSENT, TREASURY SECRETARY: Good morning to you, Bill and Dana. HEMMER: Let’s start with the top line headline that’s happening right now. Two U.S.-flagged merchant ships have gone through the Hormuz Strait. What can you tell us about where we are today as we begin a new week in the blockade? BESSENT: Yes. So, let’s level set here. I think the Iranians are starting to believe their own propaganda. And just to be clear, the leadership is hunkered down in bunkers all over the country. And, you know, I don’t think they know what’s going on. But what is going on is that, you know, they’re reduced. Their navy is not a navy anymore. It’s a band of pirates. They are trying to cut off international freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and the U.S. is opening that up. This is a humanitarian effort. I can tell you two weeks ago was IMF World Bank Week in Washington, and I had numerous countries come up to me, some of the poorest, some of the most vulnerable, and asked us to do this. Because it’s not only energy that’s in there, it’s fertilizer, it’s food transport, it’s LPG for more than the billion plus people in India used to cook. So, we are saying the Iranians do not have control of the Strait. We have absolute control of the strait. We have blockaded the ships going into or out of Iranian ports. Their economy is in freefall. And everyone says they have the high tolerance for pain. Well, their soldiers will not have a high tolerance for not getting paid. DANA PERINO, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: Senator Reed believes that we are in a worse off economic position because of Iran. Let’s watch him here. He was on this week. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SEN. JACK REED (D-RI): Strategically, we’re in many respects, a much worse position. The Strait of Hormuz is blockaded. We are seeing incredible impacts economically in the United States and oil prices, fertilizer prices, the world itself is shuttering on some of these economic blows. So, this has been a tactical demonstration of prowess, but it’s not achieved the strategic goal that the president announced. (END VIDEO CLIP) PERINO: How would you respond to Senator Reed? BERSSENT: I would say, unfortunately, Senator Reed, who had a distinguished military career has now joined the surrender lobby, that this has been going on for three weeks, that the Iranian economy is in freefall. And to be clear here, this is an international humanitarian operation. We are opening the Strait. The Iranians do not have control of the Strait. And for him to say that, it’s sad he believes the Iranian propaganda. HEMMER: There was this report from the overnight that the United States Navy, in a measure of good faith, returned an Iranian vessel, not to Iran, but to the Pakistanis. I think there were at least a dozen Iranians on board, and it was seen as a sign of good faith. Was Project Freedom done in coordination with Iran today? BESSENT: Absolutely not. Project Freedom is something that’s been in the works, and we would encourage the Iranians to let these more than 300 vessels leave, that, you know, they can fire on them. You know, they’re — I think it’s called the mosquito navy. It is being swatted. Numerous ships, maybe in double digits, have been destroyed. And the U.S., we are just firing if fired upon. We are not the provocateurs here. But if the Iranians want to escalate here, we are willing to escalate. HEMMER: So, this is clearly a test of Iran as well as we speak, correct? BESSENT: It is a test of a run, but, Bill, again, this is a ragtag band of pirates that the great U.S. military, we’ve destroyed their air force. We’ve destroyed the — all their conventional navy. Their battle lines along the street have been destroyed. So, we are saying, for the good of the international community, let these ships out. And we are expecting our international partners to engage in the same thing. Now would be a good time for international partners to step and put pressure on Iran.
