US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Tuesday, 4 August, that a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz could be reached by Wednesday, even as Tehran denied it was engaged in direct negotiations with Washington.
“We are in negotiations with the Iranians and I think there is a possibility we could reach an agreement today or tomorrow aimed at reopening the Strait and normalising the situation,” Bessent told CNBC.
When asked whether Iran might seek to impose transit fees on vessels using the Strait of Hormuz, Bessent said he believed passage would be secured under conditions of “freedom of navigation”.
Despite this optimism, the situation in the Strait of Hormuz remains tense. A vessel was struck again on Monday night as negotiations over the reopening of the strategic shipping route continued.
US President Donald Trump has said that talks with Iran are advancing and that the strait could reopen shortly.
Tehran, however, has denied the existence of any negotiations with the United States, while acknowledging contacts with Oman.
“We are not negotiating with the United States at this time. We are negotiating with Oman to ensure passage through the Strait of Hormuz,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghai said at his weekly press conference.
On Monday, Trump contradicted the Islamic Republic, saying negotiations were underway.
Bessent expressed optimism over the effect a deal with Iran would have on energy prices, noting that hundreds of vessels were waiting to resume their routes.
“Although the situation has remained somewhat tense for the past few days, we have seen quite a few ships leaving the Strait of Hormuz, even at this moment,” he said. “I therefore hope that energy prices will return to normal, which, as I have said, will be beneficial for the entire world,” he added.
Trump criticises oil company profits
Also on Monday, Donald Trump accused US oil companies of reaping excessive profits from the rise in oil prices and called for a reduction in fuel prices at the pump.
“I don’t like this. They are making too much money. Taking advantage of the scarcity, they are profiting excessively,” Trump told reporters at the White House.
While describing himself as “a strong advocate of free enterprise”, Trump singled out ExxonMobil and Chevron as among the companies most benefiting from the war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran on 28 February — a conflict that sent oil prices surging.
“When you see a company that has multiplied by 12 what it generated in the previous year, it should return some of that profit to the public,” he argued, adding that the major oil companies “have every incentive to lower prices at the petrol pump”.
ExxonMobil reported that net profit doubled in the second quarter of 2026 to US$14.5 billion, while Chevron posted US$12.1 billion, roughly five times more than in the same period of the previous year.
Source: Diário Económico
Original article: https://www.diarioeconomico.co.mz/2026/08/04/mundo/eua/eua-admitem-que-acordo-com-irao-para-reabrir-estreito-de-ormuz-podera-ser-alcancado-ate-quarta-feira/
