Tankers Have Started To 'Dribble Through' Hormuz: White House As Global Oil Markets Remain Volatile

Last Updated:March 17, 2026, 17:47 IST

After President Trump said the war could end soon, White House Economic Adviser Kevin Hassett pointed out that oil tankers are starting to "dribble through" the Strait of Hormuz.

Amid volatility in global oil markets due to geopolitical tensions in West Asia, White House Economic Adviser Kevin ⁠Hassett has said oil tankers have started to “dribble through" the Strait of Hormuz.

In an interview with CNBC, Hassett said the oil tankers are “starting to ⁠dribble through" the Strait of Hormuz while reiterating that the war will continue for only weeks not months.

The remarks come amid escalating tensions across the Gulf as the US-Israel-Iran entered Day 18, with no breakthrough yet in the conflict that erupted on February 28.

Check Latest Updates On Iran-Israel War Status Today

Meanwhile, a day after being snubbed by most allies for a naval coalition to secure the Strait of Hormuz, US President Donald Trump said Washington does not need any assistance to protect the key oil route blocked by Iran.

“We don’t need anybody. We’re the strongest nation in the world. We have the strongest military by far in the world," Trump said, repeating his criticism that North Atlantic Treaty Organisation members were not helping despite the idea of collective defence.

Also Read: ‘We Don’t Need Anybody’: Snubbed By Allies, Trump Says US Will Go Solo In Strait Of Hormuz

Just two days earlier, Trump had urged countries to deploy warships to the Strait of Hormuz. On Monday, he warned allies that a negative response could lead to a “very bad future" for NATO. However, several key partners, including Germany, Spain and Italy, declined the request, saying they had no immediate plans to send naval forces.

Previously,  Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had said the strait “remains open" to most vessels and is only closed to ships belonging to the United States, Israel and their allies.

Trump on Monday said that the ongoing war with Iran could end “soon", though he indicated that hostilities are unlikely to conclude within the current week.

While speaking to reporters at the White House, the US President struck an optimistic tone about the war, which is now in its third week. When asked if the conflict could end this week, he initially responded, “Yeah, sure," before clarifying that an immediate resolution was unlikely.

Also Read: ‘It Won’t Be Long’: Trump Says Iran War Could ‘Wrap Up Soon’, But Not Likely This Week

“I don’t think so, but it’ll be soon. It won’t be long. And we’re going to have a much safer world when it’s wrapped up. It’ll be wrapped up soon," he said.

Trump claimed that Iran could have developed a nuclear weapon within a month if the strikes had not taken place, and warned that such a weapon would have been used against Israel and countries in the Gulf region.

He also lashed out at former US President Barack Obama over his “horrible" nuclear deal with Iran, saying it would have enabled Iran to develop a nuclear weapon three years ago, which would have been eventually used against the United States.

Iran has been carrying out attacks on US bases and interests across the Middle East since the conflict with the United States and Israel began on February 28. The war started after US and Israeli strikes on Iran that killed the country’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and caused major damage to key government and military infrastructure.

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