US Treasury Bessent: US 'fine' with Iranian, Indian and Chinese ships passing through Hormuz — natural opening underway

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC on March 16 that Washington is 'fine' with Iranian, Indian and Chinese ships currently transiting the Strait of Hormuz. 'We are seeing more and more of the fuel ships start to go through. The Iranian ships have been getting out already, and we've let that happen to supply the rest of the world. We've seen Indian ships go out now... we believe some Chinese ships have gone out,' Bessent said. 'That should start ramping up before there are any of the flotillas or protective armadas in the Gulf. So we think that there will be a natural opening that the Iranians are letting out. And for now, we're fine with that. We want the world to be well supplied.' (Times of Israel, March 16 live blog) The statement marks a significant moderation of the US Hormuz posture. Rather than demanding an immediate full reopening backed by naval force, Bessent describes a de facto selective opening — with Iran allowing its own ships, Chinese ships, and Indian ships through while other nations' tankers remain at risk. The US is signaling it will tolerate this partial reopening for now. Bessent also said any administration tools to mitigate higher energy prices 'will depend on the duration of the conflict,' implying the US views the Hormuz situation as self-correcting if the war ends quickly.