美国总统唐纳德·特朗普(Donald Trump)在霍尔木兹海峡面临不断升级的危机，全球约五分之一的石油供应仍处于美国和以色列的瞄准线之下与德黑兰的战争.
特朗普淡化了这条至关重要的航运路线及其附近的实际停顿，周三表示情况“非常好”。
但伊朗新任最高领袖莫杰塔巴·哈梅内伊(Mojtaba Khamenei)周四在据称是他接替父亲以来的第一条信息中誓言，伊朗将继续封锁该海峡，以此作为杠杆，并利用伊朗的经济武器。
袭击运输船只激增本周在波斯湾，石油价格跃升至每桶100多美元。根据美国汽车协会的数据，在美国，汽油价格上涨至全国平均每加仑3.59美元。
国际能源署周四表示，中东冲突正在造成“全球石油市场历史上最大的供应中断”国际能源机构的成员国表示，他们将从战略储备中释放4亿桶石油，这是自俄罗斯2022年入侵乌克兰以来的首次联合行动。
为了应对国内的经济和政治影响，特朗普总统将动用战略石油储备。能源部长克里斯·赖特说，他的部门已被授权从下周开始从储备中释放1.72亿桶。
但是分析人士说，这些解决方案是暂时的从长远来看，可能没有足够的石油来弥补每天通过霍尔木兹海峡的2000万桶石油。
王牌在本周早些时候的一次采访中，他告诉福克斯新闻频道的Brian Kilmeade，在霍尔木兹海峡停泊的船只需要“展示一些”胆量”然后推进通道。
特朗普3月3日宣布，在保险公司取消保险后，美国政府将提供一些风险保险和担保。
他还说，如果有必要，美国海军将护送油轮通过海峡，这是一个潜在的风险。
但是从周四开始，能源部长制作者称美国海军“不准备”为油轮护航，因为军方目前的重点是打击伊朗。
“相对而言，这很快就会发生，但现在不可能。我们只是还没准备好。赖特对美国消费者新闻与商业频道说:“我们所有的军事资产现在都集中在摧毁伊朗的进攻能力和为伊朗提供进攻能力的制造业上。”
当被问及美国是否会在本月底护送油轮时，制作者说，“我认为很有可能是这样。”
当被问及赖特的评论时，白宫发言人安娜·凯利告诉美国广播公司新闻，川普“完全准备好在他认为必要的情况下为美国海军护航通过霍尔木兹海峡。我们的军队已经摧毁了20多艘非现役的布雷艇，还会有更多。”
本周早些时候，特朗普警告说，如果伊朗用地雷扰乱霍尔木兹海峡，“伊朗的军事后果将达到前所未有的水平。”
白宫表示正在“考虑”减轻危机的另一个潜在途径是免除琼斯法案是一项有百年历史的法律，要求所有在美国港口之间运输的货物必须由美国拥有和运营的船只运载。
“为了国防利益，白宫正在考虑放弃琼斯法案在一段有限的时间内确保重要的能源产品和农业必需品自由流向美国港口。白宫新闻秘书卡罗林·莱维特在周四的一份声明中说:“这一行动尚未最终确定。”。
特朗普，谁能面对政治后果在今年的中期选举中，石油和汽油价格上涨，周四试图将上涨的成本说成对美国整体有利。
“到目前为止，美国是世界上最大的石油生产国，所以当油价上涨时，我们赚了很多钱，”特朗普在社交媒体上写道。
“但是，对我来说，作为总统，更感兴趣和更重要的是阻止邪恶帝国伊朗拥有核武器，并摧毁中东，事实上，是世界，”特朗普补充道。
他没有评论专家认为油价上涨将如何伤害许多公司和美国消费者，尽管能源部长赖特在接受福克斯新闻频道采访时坚称，个人消费者是特朗普的主要担忧。
“总的来说，对美国经济来说，这不是坏消息。当然，特朗普总统担心的不是整体，他担心的是每一个美国消费者。所以，是的，他当然关心人们不得不承受的短期能源价格上涨，”赖特说。
Trump faces escalating oil crisis over Iran blocking Strait of Hormuz
President Donald Trump is facing an escalating crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, where roughly one-fifth of the world's oil supply remains caught in the crosshairs of the U.S. and Israeliwar with Tehran.
Trump downplayed the virtual standstill in and near the vital shipping route, saying on Wednesday it was in "great shape."
But Iran's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, in a purported first message since taking over for his father, vowed Thursday that his country will continue to block the strait as leverage and capitalize on Iran's economic weapon.
Attacks on shipping vesselshave surgedin the Persian Gulf this week, and oil prices jumped to more than $100 per barrel. In the U.S., gas prices rose to a national average of $3.59 a gallon, according to data from AAA.
The International Energy Agency said on Thursday the Middle East conflict is creating "the largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market." Member countries of the IEA have said they will release 400 million barrels of oil from strategic reserves, a first such joint effort since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
To deal with the economic and political fallout at home, President Trump will tap the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said his department's been authorized to release 172 million barrels from the reserve starting next week.
Butanalysts say those solutions are temporary, likely not enough oil in the long term to make up for the 20 million barrels that typically pass through the Strait of Hormuz each day.
Trumptold Fox News's Brian Kilmeade in an interview earlier this week that ships holding at the Strait of Hormuz need to "show someguts" and push through the channel.
Trump on March 3 had announced the U.S. government was going to provide some risk insurance and guarantees after insurers canceled their coverage.
He also said that if necessary, the U.S. Navy would escort tankers through the strait, a potentially risky proposition.
But as of Thursday, Energy SecretaryWrightsaid the U.S. Navy is "not ready" to escort oil tankers because of the military's current focus on striking Iran.
"It will happen relatively soon, but it can't happen now. We're simply not ready. All of our military assets right now are focused on destroying Iran's offensive capabilities and the manufacturing industry that supplies their offensive capabilities," Wright told CNBC.
When asked if the U.S. escorting of tankers could happen by the end of the month,Wrightsaid, "I think that is quite likely the case."
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly, when asked about Wright's comments, told ABC News that Trump is "fully prepared to provide U.S. Navy escorts through the Strait of Hormuz if he deems it necessary. Our military has destroyed well over 20 inactive mine laying boats with more to come."
Earlier this week, Trump warned that if Iran disrupted the Strait of Hormuz with mines, "the Military consequences to Iran will be at a level never seen before."
Another potential avenue the White House said it is "considering" to mitigate the crisis is to waive the JonesAct, a century-old law that requires all goods shipped between U.S. ports be carried on U.S. owned-and-operated ships.
"In the interest of national defense, the White House is considering waiving theJones Act for a limited period of time to ensure vital energy products and agricultural necessities are flowing freely to U.S. ports. This action has not been finalized," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement Thursday.
Trump, who could facepolitical consequencesof higher oil and gasoline prices in this year's midterm elections, on Thursday tried to spin the rising costs as good for the U.S. overall.
"The United States is the largest Oil Producer in the World, by far, so when oil prices go up, we make a lot of money," Trump wrote in a social media post.
"BUT, of far greater interest and importance to me, as President, is stoping an evil Empire, Iran, from having Nuclear Weapons, and destroying the Middle East and, indeed, the World," Trump added.
He did not comment on how expert say higher oil prices will hurt many companies and American consumers, although Wright, the energy secretary, insisted in an interview with Fox News that the individual consumer is Trump's main concern.
"Overall for the U.S. economy, this isn't bad news. But of course [what] President Trump is worried about is not overall, he is worried about every single American consumer. So yes, of course he is concerned about the rising energy prices through this short-term period that people have to suffer," Wright said.
