Energy Secretary Chris Wright says U.S. has ended Iran’s ability to close Strait of Hormuz

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on June 24 that the United States has “ended Iran’s ability to close” the Strait of Hormuz, a major maritime chokepoint through which a large share of global oil shipping moves. Speaking in an interview published by CNBC, Wright framed the claim around recent vessel traffic and said the steady passage of tankers indicates Iran is not able to disrupt transit.

Wright said that during the past 24 hours, 72 ships loaded with about 19 million barrels of oil passed through the Strait of Hormuz. He used the figures to argue that commercial activity is continuing at a level inconsistent with an Iranian ability to stop or close access to the waterway.

The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf with the open ocean and is frequently at the center of U.S.-Iran tensions, with both sides trading threats about shipping security. In the CNBC report, Wright’s comments focused on the practical effect on oil movements rather than on new diplomatic steps or additional enforcement actions, and the article did not provide further operational details beyond the transit and cargo estimates.

Wright’s remarks also highlighted the energy-security dimension of U.S. policy toward the region. By tying Iran’s purported limitations to actual tankers transiting the Strait, he linked national security goals to near-term market continuity, emphasizing the amount of crude moving rather than broad strategic language.

The CNBC report did not specify the legal authority or specific measures Wright referenced to support the claim that Iran’s closing capability had been ended. It also did not describe whether the U.S. assessment reflects increased maritime security, deterrence actions, or other mechanisms, beyond pointing to current shipping flows.

For international shippers, the immediate significance of Wright’s statements is The report about expected chokepoint access. If tanker transits remain uninterrupted, it can reduce short-term uncertainty for contracts tied to delivery windows and insurance assessments, though the CNBC report did not provide details on pricing, premiums, or any changes to underwriting.

Wright’s comments come as governments and industry regularly monitor the Strait of Hormuz for signs of disruption, including changes in ship routing, delays, or interruptions to loading schedules. In this case, the publicly stated basis for the U.S. position was the reported volume of vessels and barrels transiting in a single day, without additional disclosed verification methods in the article.

The next steps for confirmation, given the limited details in the available reporting, would be additional explanations from the U.S. government on what capabilities have changed and how the U.S. is assessing Iran’s ability to interfere with transit. Industry sources typically corroborate such assessments through tracking data, but no secondary verification beyond Wright’s figures was included in the provided record.