Washington — Chevron’s CEO said commercial ships will likely need U.S. Navy escorts when the Strait of Hormuz reopens to ensure crew and cargo safety.
The standoff over the vital waterway has escalated amid Iranian threats and a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports that has effectively closed the strait, and recent days have seen several maritime incidents.
On Face the Nation, moderator Margaret Brennan asked CEO Mike Wirth what Chevron would need to see to feel comfortable sending a vessel through the strait. Wirth said the company would require confidence that people and cargo would be safe and that transits could be carried out with a high degree of assurance.
He said that decision would be made in collaboration with the U.S. Navy and other military partners. In the early phase after reopening, Wirth said, naval escorts are likely because risks aren’t limited to mines; threats could also come from land. Having Navy ships accompany the first transits would provide greater confidence and an immediate defensive presence if something occurred.
Since the start of the war, President Trump has at times sent mixed signals about securing the crucial route, through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil passes. On Thursday, Mr. Trump said U.S. minesweepers were clearing the strait and directed the U.S. Navy to “shoot and kill” Iranian boats placing mines there.
Watch more of the interview Sunday on Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.
By Caitlin Yilek
Politics Reporter
Updated April 24, 2026 / 9:59 PM EDT / CBS News