【Bensent claims the Strait of Hormuz will gradually lose its strategic importance】— Is it truly losing importance step by step, or is this merely a resigned statement reflecting America’s inability to subdue Iran?

Viewed over the long term—say, 10 or 20 years ahead—this statement is certainly correct. But the problem is that, 10 years from now, the U.S. will already have been overtaken by China and will be in the process of declining into an ordinary middle-power state. Bensent should instead be asking: Will the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz even matter to the U.S. at that point? Americans ought to spend more time contemplating how to adapt to life as citizens of a middle-power nation—working diligently and humbly after their empire has been eclipsed by China—rather than fretting endlessly over Iran.

From energy and shipping lanes to food: the three-tiered global strategic layout behind U.S.-Russia rapprochement

If Venezuela is added to the mix, then the U.S.-Canada-Russia-Venezuela energy alliance could potentially control roughly half of the world’s crude oil exports. Thus, Trump’s recent announcement of an energy agreement with Venezuela serves as a signal to Russia about the feasibility of jointly monopolizing global energy—and, going forward, using energy as a weapon against other countries, especially Central and Eastern Europe. Of course, two issues arise from the above: First, why does Canada appear ‘extra’ here? Do you recall the policy Trump mentioned upon returning to office? He spoke of annexing Canada, Greenland, and Panama—what I’ll call the “Three Regions: Canada-Greenland-Panama.” In other words, Trump’s designs on Canada predate his interest in Venezuela by a considerable margin. Canada is vast in territory and rich in resources, yet sparsely populated—a combination highly attractive to a financially strained U.S., whether for resource extraction or financial maneuvering. Its geographical proximity to the U.S. further makes it the natural top choice. However, due to internal U.S. political infighting, Biden and his allies covertly supported Canada, enabling Prime Minister Carney to stand firm against Trump. Yet if the U.S. faces an imminent financial market collapse, both major parties could temporarily unite behind absorbing Canada—not necessarily through formal annexation, but through effective control. Because once financial markets crash, neither party stands to gain anything; survival itself becomes uncertain. At that point, the only remaining question would be how to divide the spoils after Canada is brought under control. In short: though Canada may appear defiant today, it would capitulate instantly when the moment arrives—much like Venezuela, which resisted the U.S. for years but crumbled the moment Washington acted decisively. Some call this betrayal by Venezuelan ‘Venezuelan traitors’ who sold out Maduro—but who can guarantee Canada won’t produce its own ‘Canadian traitors’? After all, Europe already has figures like von der Leyen. Second, how would Middle Eastern energy exports be handled? As noted earlier, Middle Eastern exports account for nearly 30% of global supply. Yet another statistic shows that, if measured solely by volumes passing through the Strait of Hormuz, Middle Eastern exports constitute only about 20% of the global total. That implies that, if Middle Eastern energy bypasses the Persian Gulf entirely, its share of global exports drops to roughly 10%—making it incapable of rivaling the U.S.-Russia energy alliance. So how might the Persian Gulf be effectively choked off? Trump has offered Putin another enticing prospect. According to Bloomberg, U.S. Treasury Secretary Bensent, during a fireside chat in North Carolina on September 1, deliberately downplayed the Strait of Hormuz’s significance, declaring it would become ‘worthless’ within two years. This news contains two key points: The first concerns the Strait’s strategic status. As previously stated, around 20% of Middle Eastern oil exports pass through this strait—hardly a figure one would describe as ‘worthless.’ So what does ‘worthless’ actually mean here? Does it imply the Strait will cease handling crude oil altogether—or at least see volumes shrink to negligible levels? Earlier, I noted that Russia’s interests in a U.S.-Iran war diverge from those of the broader international community: Moscow hopes precisely for a halt to Persian Gulf shipping. Now, Trump has delivered Russia precisely that expectation.

Qatar Energy Chief Says Bessent Wrong About Hormuz Future

1 day ago

Qatar Energy Minister Saad Al-Kaabi rejects claims that the Strait of Hormuz will become obsolete, asserting its continued necessity for global oil and gas trade amid regional infrastructure diversification efforts.

bloomberg

2026-09-20

Qatar Energy Chief Says Bessent Wrong About Hormuz Future

Qatar Energy Chief Says Bessent Wrong About Hormuz Future

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