00:01Iran and the U.S. exchange fire over the Strait of Hormuz, where 1,600 vessels are stuck after
00:08months of fighting in the Middle East. The Strait is a key shipping route for energy,
00:12and eight ships owned by Taiwanese companies have also been unable to pass through.
00:17In a statement, Taiwan's cabinet said they were coordinating internationally
00:21and with companies to restore normal shipping operations. It also said it was monitoring
00:27domestic plastic production, had stabilized oil prices, and implemented temporary fare
00:33freezes for mass transit and domestic flights. The Strait has been effectively closed since
00:39February, when the U.S. and Israel began airstrikes on Iran. Now, reopening the critical energy transit
00:45hub has become one of the U.S.'s main objectives in negotiations. On Monday, in an interview with
00:51Fox News Channel's America's Newsroom, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Besant warned that strikes could
00:57continue if Iran tried to intervene. And the U.S., we are just firing if fired upon. We are not
01:04the
01:04provocateurs here, but if the Iranians want to escalate here, we are willing to escalate.
01:09The U.S. military says two American merchant ships passed through the Strait on Monday,
01:13but Iran disputes their claim. Meanwhile, Tehran has launched new drone and missile strikes on the UAE,
01:20including one that caused a fire at a major oil port. The United Nations is calling for a peaceful
01:26reopening of the waterway. The Strait of Hormuz needs to be reopened. Freedom of navigation needs
01:32to be re-established. We need to see a return of what has been centuries of practice, of common law,
01:44which is freedom of navigation in these waters. The U.S. and Iran agreed to a ceasefire in April,
01:51but as tensions escalate, movement through the Strait remains limited, putting the world's energy supply
01:57under pressure as governments like Taiwan's monitor developments and brace for further impact.
02:03Hank Shui and Tiffany Wong for Taiwan Plus.
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