Washington DC [US], April 2 : US President Donald Trump on Wednesday (local time) expressed confidence that the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global oil shipping route off the coast of Iran, will reopen "naturally" once the ongoing conflict concludes in the region, amid concerns over the rising global oil prices.
During his address to the nation, Trump outlined an optimistic outlook for the future, indicating that stability would return to energy markets following the end of hostilities.
He emphasised that the reopening of the key maritime corridor would play a crucial role in restoring balance in global energy supply chains and financial markets, which have seen significant disruption since the start of the conflict in February.
"Iran has been essentially decimated - the hard part is done, so it should be easy, and in any event, when this conflict is over, the strait will open up naturally; it will just open up naturally," Trump said.
"They're gonna want to be able to sell oil because that's all they have to try and rebuild. It will resume the flowing, and the gas prices will rapidly come back down. Stock prices will rapidly go back up," he added.
Trump, during his address, also called on allied nations, which depend on the oil from West Asia, to "build up some delayed courage" and take responsibility for reclaiming the Strait of Hormuz, asserting that the burden of securing the Iranian-blocked waterway should be shared.
The President stated that these countries "should have done it before, should have done it with us, as we asked." He further urged them to "go to the strait and just take it, protect it," as his administration continues its military campaign in the region.
The Strait of Hormuz remains a critical global energy chokepoint, and recent developments come amid heightened tensions in the region, even as diplomatic channels between Washington and Tehran continue to remain active.