United States Treasury Secretary Scott Besant temporarily interrupted a television interview with Sky News after being called to an emergency meeting with President Donald Trump in the White House Situation Room, The Hill reports.
After the call, he returned visibly stressed, responding in broken speech.
During the call with journalist Wilfred Frost at around 10:22 a.m. local time, a voiceover told Besant that the president was calling him immediately. The finance minister left the interview and returned about an hour and a half later to finish it.
After his return, Besant said that Trump was "in excellent spirits" and that the US military operation in Iran was going "significantly faster than planned".
The minister also commented on the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, which has been closed by Iran amid the conflict with the US and Israel. According to him, Washington is discussing the possibility of the US Navy or an international coalition escorting oil tankers through the strategic sea corridor.
In recent days, attacks on commercial ships have been recorded in the region. One of them - the Thai cargo ship Mayuree Naree - caught fire after being hit by an unknown projectile, with three crew members missing.
The closure of the strait led to a sharp increase in fuel prices. The average price of gasoline in the United States reached $3.63 a gallon, up from $2.94 a month ago. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that oil prices could reach $200 a barrel if the conflict continues.