US Remains in Conflict with Iran as Hormuz Oil Flows Recover

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright has stated that Washington remains in an active conflict with Iran despite President Donald Trump's description of the six-month confrontation as 'small potatoes.'

The US is maintaining military and economic pressure on Tehran, aiming to reduce its ability to use the Strait of Hormuz as a source of leverage.

According to Wright, the seven-day average of oil moving through Hormuz has risen to slightly more than 9 million barrels per day, with regional bypass pipelines increasing total oil flows out of the Gulf region to around 13-14 million barrels per day.

This is roughly two-thirds of pre-war levels. However, independent shipping-data sources have reported lower 28-day averages for Strait traffic.

Wright emphasized that Washington's mission goes beyond escorting commercial vessels, and also aims to prevent Iranian oil and other exports from leaving the country as part of an economic pressure campaign.

The objective is to force either changes in Tehran's policies or political change inside Iran. The US Navy's presence is crucial for maintaining the current level of traffic through Hormuz.

Iran, meanwhile, continues to use access to Hormuz as a principal source of leverage. Tehran has announced plans to establish a new exclusion zone extending from the US naval blockade line toward Hormuz and into parts of the Persian Gulf.

The Energy Secretary said an agreement on Iran's nuclear program is not guaranteed, and that Washington's alternative is to destroy its ability to develop and deliver a nuclear weapon. He claimed that Iran's air force and navy have been effectively destroyed, and its ability to manufacture missiles severely degraded.