The US Navy is "not ready" to escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Thursday as US-Israel operation in Iran continues.

"It'll happen relatively soon, but it can't happen now. We're simply not ready. All of our military assets right now are focused on destroying Iran’s offensive capabilities and the manufacturing industry that supplies their offensive capabilities," Wright told CNBC in an interview.

"I think that, yes, I think that is quite likely the case," Wright said when asked if the navy will be in a position to escort tankers by the end of this month.

"I’ll be over at the Pentagon later today — that is what the military is working on," he added.

Separately, in an interview with CNN, Wright said the Strait of Hormuz "needs to be and will be reopened," when asked could the US declare victory success without the important waterway being reopened.

“The US military is there to solve a long-term problem, which is Iran’s had 47 years an ability to threaten the Strait of Hormuz, and not long from now Iran would have nuclear arms and a massive missile program surrounding that.”

“So yes, you’ve got to go through short-term pain to solve a long-term problem,” he said.

'We're in the midst of a significant disruption'

Wright said the US military is currently focused on weakening Iran’s capacity to pose threats, and Washington will eventually work with other nations "to allow the return of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz."

Iran warned Wednesday that oil prices could surge to as much as $200 per barrel as ongoing US and Israeli strikes continue to unsettle global energy markets.

"We're in the midst of a significant disruption," Wright told CNN.

The secretary, however, said global oil prices are "unlikely" to hit $200 a barrel.

"We're going through short-term energy disruption for just huge long-term gain," Wright said in response to a question if he agrees people need to be prepared for oil at $200 a barrel.

"Could that mean $200 a barrel?" CNN asked. "I would say unlikely, but we are focused on the military operation and solving the problem," Wright replied. (AA)

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