Bessent: Now is the right time to increase international pressure on Tehran

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has stated that it is now the right moment to strengthen international pressure on Tehran, amid heightened tension in the Strait of Hormuz.

In an interview with Fox News, he said the United States is taking the lead in ensuring free passage through the Strait of Hormuz, stressing that Iran does not control the strategic waterway, Caliber.Az reports.

.@SecScottBessent on Iran: "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... It's not only energy that’s in there—it's fertilizer, it's food transport." pic.twitter.com/snb9NPsogC

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) May 4, 2026

He added that the US would not use force first unless Iranian forces opened fire on American personnel.

“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... It's not only energy that’s in there—it's fertilizer, it's food transport,” he noted.

According to him, US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping have already discussed the situation in a phone call, and Washington is counting on Beijing’s participation in efforts to secure the strait and apply diplomatic pressure on Iran.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov