WASHINGTON, Aug. 4 (ANI) — Amid diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Tuesday indicated that a potential breakthrough could be reached, saying an agreement to reopen the strategic waterway may come “today or tomorrow.”
Speaking in an interview with CNBC, Bessent said the development followed warnings issued by U.S. President Donald Trump last week regarding what he described as one of the largest potential military campaigns since World War II.
“We’ve seen President Trump last week threaten what would have been one of the largest military campaigns since World War II against the Iranians. Because of that, we are in talks with the Iranians, and I think there is a chance we may have a deal today or tomorrow to open the Strait and move towards a more normalised position in this conflict,” Bessent told CNBC.
Bessent also repeated claims regarding damage to Iran’s military capabilities, stating that the country’s air force and navy had been “wiped out” and that significant portions of its missile arsenal had been destroyed.
“That is because their air force and navy are wiped out, substantial portions of their missiles are wiped out,” he said.
The remarks came as diplomatic efforts gained momentum following heightened rhetoric from Washington and a pause in hostilities after several days of U.S. strikes against Tehran.
Earlier Monday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran was not seeking to escalate regional tensions but would continue to defend its sovereignty.
His remarks followed Trump’s statement that Iran had been given a “last chance” to reach an agreement. Trump said Washington had paused a planned military operation after receiving appeals from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, and Iran to pursue diplomacy.
Claiming that negotiations were taking place at Iran’s request, Trump said, “We are talking right now, we’re talking and we’re talking at the request of Iran, backed by Saudi Arabia, backed by UAE, and backed by Qatar in particular, but others also. Many countries called… they all wanted to give this a last chance.”
Regional countries in West Asia and the Gulf continue efforts to reduce tensions and maintain maritime security in the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping route for global energy supplies. (ANI)
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