Naval escorts will likely be needed when Strait of Hormuz reopens, Chevron CEO says

Washington — Chevron’s chief executive said it was likely the U.S. Navy would have to escort commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz once it reopens, to ensure some level of security.

The standoff around the strait has intensified amid Iranian threats against the critical channel and the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports, effectively closing it. The tensions led to several maritime incidents these last few days.

Asked Thursday by “Face the Nation” moderator Margaret Brennan what Chevron would need to see to feel confident in sending a ship across the strait, CEO Mike Wirth responded: “We would have to believe that our people on the ship will be safe, that the cargo will be safe and that they will be able to transit with a high degree of confidence.”

Wirth said the decision would be made “in collaboration” with the U.S. Navy and other military organizations around the world.

“I think initially it’s very likely that you could see naval escorts, because I think some of the risks are not only from the mines that could be placed in the strait, but they could also come from land in other forms,” Wirth said. “So I think having the Navy with these ships making the first transit would provide a higher degree of confidence than if there was something [that] happened, that you would have some measure of defense.

Since the start of the war, President Trump has sent mixed messages on securing this key waterway, through which around a fifth of the world’s oil passes. On Thursday, Mr. Trump said American minesweepers were clearing the strait and ordered the US Navy to “shoot and kill“Iranian boats laying mines in the strait.

Watch more of the interview Sunday on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.”