U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the Strait of Hormuz will become like a "worthless piece of water" within two years as oil moves through land-based pipelines, arguing Iran is trying to use the route as a choke point that matters far more to other countries than to the United States. He spoke with Fox Business host Larry Kudlow on the sidelines of the Group of 20 finance ministers’ meetings in Asheville, North Carolina, and said Washington has zero tolerance and intends to economically asphyxiate the Iranian regime amid growing international support for the pressure campaign. The comments landed as President Donald Trump reportedly approved a "tanker for tanker" policy, U.S. forces struck two Iranian government tankers, officials said about 100 targets were hit, and roughly 40 ships transited the strait under U.S. military guidance. Iranian officials condemned the strikes, claimed a U.S. attack on a wedding gathering in Kuhestak killed four people including a child and injured 53 others, and warned that continued economic pressure could halt oil exports through the strait and Persian Gulf, while Tehran has linked wider Hormuz access to progress on regional conflicts and U.S. demands.