The United States can provide “reliable” energy supplies to Asia-Pacific, US Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said Saturday, as the Middle East war cripples the region’s oil and gas flow.
Oil and gas prices have surged since US-Israeli strikes on Iran killed its supreme leader and plunged the Middle East into war.
The conflict has virtually halted traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, a key transit point for oil and gas — the vast majority of which is destined for Asia.
US President Donald Trump’s “energy dominance” policy aims to ensure that “we have energy to allow for prosperity at home, and we have the ability to sell energy to our friends and allies,” Burgum told an event in Tokyo bringing together 17 countries from the region.
That ensures the region has a “reliable, affordable and secure” energy supply that “can’t be interrupted by a terrorist regime,” he said.
Burgum also addressed the need for a secure supply of critical minerals, as countries push to cut their dependence on top exporter China.
Critical minerals such as lithium and cobalt are used in everything from electric vehicles, solar panels and smartphones to jet engines and guided missiles.
The forum, which was organised before the Middle East war erupted on February 28, brings together political leaders and US energy companies aiming to seal commercial agreements.