Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., said Wednesday it could take time for the United States to secure the Strait of Hormuz in the Middle East as tensions tied to the Iranian conflict continue to threaten global shipping lanes.
During an appearance on CNN's "News Central," Scott told anchor Kate Bolduan the situation in the region remains dangerous while addressing concerns about the safety of commercial vessels traveling through the strategic waterway.
The senator's comments came after Bolduan asked why the U.S. Navy was not escorting ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
"I can't tell you the answer to that, but I think right now it's still a dangerous situation," Scott said.
He suggested restoring stability in the region will likely take time, as the conflict in Iran continues to create uncertainty on a global scale.
"It's going to take a while for us to get control of the Strait of Hormuz," Scott said.
The Florida Republican also argued that the United States should remain focused on confronting Iran's military capabilities and preventing Tehran from developing nuclear weapons — conditions that would enable it to rejoin the community of nations.
"The most important thing we can do right now, and our job right now — we'd love to get the gas prices back down — but the most important thing is destroy Iran's ability to produce a nuclear weapon, destroy their military, their ballistic missile capability, and hopefully we end up with a country that wants to work with the world community and not be constantly destroying through all their proxies," Scott said.
The Strait of Hormuz lies between Iran and Oman and connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.
Roughly 20% of the world's oil supply moves through the narrow waterway, making it one of the most strategically important shipping routes in the global energy market.
Security concerns have increased since the Iran war began late last month with joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran's nuclear and military facilities, triggering retaliatory attacks and instability across the Middle East.
Western officials have warned that Iranian forces or Iran-backed groups could threaten commercial vessels passing through the strait, raising fears of disruptions to global energy supplies.
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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