CNN interview highlights discrepancy in Kevin Hassett's Strait of Hormuz traffic forecast
During a live interview, CNN host Jake Tapper questioned National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett about his earlier prediction that shipping through the Strait of Hormuz would quickly return to normal, noting that the waterway remains largely closed.
National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett faced questioning from CNN’s Jake Tapper on Sunday after he reiterated a prior forecast that traffic through the Strait of Hormuz would soon normalize despite ongoing blockades involving Iran. Tapper reminded Hassett of his earlier statement that he was "bullish" about a significant increase in daily shipping and that the situation would "cruise to normalcy" shortly, then pointed out that the strait remains effectively closed nearly six months after the United States escalated the conflict.
Tapper cited Iran’s recent demands—including the lifting of the naval blockade and sanctions, war reparations, the release of frozen assets, and an end to attacks on Iran’s allies—as conditions for reopening the waterway, and asked when Hassett expected the promised “really, really soon” timeline to be met.
The United States has said it is close to reaching an agreement with Iran to reopen the strait, while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi indicated that talks with Oman are in their final stages, though Iran maintains that it will not reopen the channel without U.S. compliance with its demands.
Hassett responded by noting that oil prices have fallen from around $100 a barrel to $80 and that further steps are being taken to reduce gasoline costs once the Gulf situation is resolved, acknowledging that current gas prices remain higher than desired. Tapper pressed further, reiterating Hassett’s earlier claim about traffic volume and challenging the accuracy of that assessment.