Pentagon plays down Strait of Hormuz quagmire: ‘Don’t need to worry about it’

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The Hill's Headlines — March 13, 2026

The Hill's Headlines — March 13, 2026

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sought to play down the quagmire in the Strait of Hormuz that is pushing up global energy prices, telling reporters on Friday, “we have been dealing with it; don’t need to worry about it.”

Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Dan Caine said the military was prioritizing efforts to counter Iran’s capabilities to mine the crucial corridor, which typically facilitates some 20 percent of the global oil trade. Hegseth said the U.S. was not aware of any mines being laid so far.

The Pentagon chief addressed the Strait of Hormuz in his opening remarks, saying Iran’s Navy has been destroyed.

“As the world is seeing, they are exercising sheer desperation in the Straits of Hormuz, something we’re dealing with. We have been dealing with it; don’t need to worry about it. We’re on plan to defeat, destroy, disable all of their meaningful military capabilities at a pace the world has never seen before,” he said.

Hegseth lashed out at a report from CNN on Thursday that the........

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