CNN: White House, underestimated Iran strait risks as energy crisis deepens

Multiple sources familiar with US national security planning say the Pentagon and National Security Council underestimated Iran’s willingness to close the Strait of Hormuz in response to US military strikes, complicating operations and triggering escalating energy market turmoil, CNN reports.

President Donald Trump Scott Bessent and Energy Secretary Chris Wright have been closely involved, but sources say Trump’s reliance on a small circle of advisers sidelined broader interagency debate over the economic fallout if Iran closed the strait.

“It’ll happen relatively soon, but it can’t happen now. We’re simply not ready,” Wright told CNBC, referring to Navy escorts for commercial vessels. He added, “All of our military assets right now are focused on destroying Iran’s offensive capabilities and the manufacturing industry that supplies their offensive capabilities.”

New Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei stated that the strait would remain closed as a “tool of pressure,” leaving the US with limited options. Shipping executives have repeatedly requested military escorts, which have been denied due to high risk from Iranian drones, missiles, and mines.

Bessent said the Navy escorts would begin “as soon as it is militarily possible,” adding that “there’s a chance that the US Navy, or perhaps an international coalition, will be escorting oil tankers through” the waterway.

Trump has downplayed the energy market risks, asserting on Truth Social that higher oil prices benefit the US, writing: “The United States is the largest Oil Producer in the World, by far, so when oil prices go up, we make a lot of money.” He added, “Of far greater interest and importance to me, as President, is stopping an evil Empire, Iran, from having Nuclear Weapons, and destroying the Middle East and, indeed, the World.”

Meanwhile, the White House and Treasury have taken steps to ease the energy crunch, including a temporary waiver on Russian oil sanctions and considering easing the Jones Act to expedite domestic shipping. Energy experts, however, warn that regulatory relief may only modestly offset the surge in gasoline prices driven by global supply concerns.

The situation highlights the complex intersection of geopolitics, military planning, and global energy markets as the US navigates a high-stakes crisis in the Gulf.

By Vafa Guliyeva