US vows to secure Strait of Hormuz

The US is committed to protect the shipping routes and choke points in the Arabian Gulf region, a senior US government official affirmed yesterday. Iran recently issued threats to block the Strait of Hormuz, which is one of the most strategically important choke points in the region and in the world with an oil flow of around 17 million barrels per day.

The country, which is reeling from the effects of re-imposing of the first round of US sanctions, has made clear its intention to disrupt shipping routes and has even previously masterminded attacks on two Saudi oil tankers at Bab Al Mandab using Houthi proxies. Speaking to reporters during a media round-table session yesterday, John J Sullivan, Deputy Secretary of State, who is an official regional tour said that the US remains committed to ensuring the protection of the trading routes in the region.

“The United States is committed to a free and open trading system and that includes the movement of goods and persons by land, by sea, and by air particularly in this region. “We are committed, along with our allies and partners including most importantly Bahrain, in ensuring that free transit continues and that states that are not committed to that free and open trading system are not able to disrupt that.

“I’ve had discussions with the government of Bahrain on our support, on our joint commitment to addressing the threats to the region that are posed by Iran. “With respect to sanctions, it has been reimposed by the United States with the first round of sanctions having started in early August.