World
Qatar Energy Chief Disagrees With Trump Advisor on Strait of Hormuz
The head of Qatar’s energy sector says Scott Bessent is mistaken about the future of a key shipping lane for oil.
Saad al-Kaabi, Qatar's Energy Minister, speaking at a public energy conference.
By John Doe
Reporting from Qatar 
Sept. 22, 2026, 6:08 a.m. - 4 hours ago
A high-ranking official in Qatar is pushing back against comments made by Scott Bessent. Bessent is a top economic advisor to Donald Trump.
The disagreement is about the Strait of Hormuz. This is a very narrow strip of water that sits between Iran and Oman. It is one of the most important spots in the world for shipping oil and gas.
Bessent recently suggested that the U.S. might not need to worry as much about the safety of this shipping lane in the future. He thinks that as the U.S. produces more of its own oil, it won't be as reliant on oil from the Middle East.
Saad al-Kaabi is the head of QatarEnergy. He says that idea is wrong. Al-Kaabi argues that the world is still deeply connected. He says that even if the U.S. has plenty of oil, other countries like those in Asia still rely heavily on oil and gas from the Persian Gulf.
Because of this, al-Kaabi believes the world will always need to make sure ships can pass safely through the Strait of Hormuz. He thinks it is a mistake to ignore the importance of this area.
Source: Bloomberg.com
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