WASHINGTON — U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Tuesday that the Strait of Hormuz will be "like a worthless piece of water" in two years as oil will be shipped through land-based pipelines, bypassing the crucial waterway. Bessent made the remarks during a fireside chat with FOX Business Network host Larry Kudlow at the Group of 20 finance ministers' meetings in Asheville, North Carolina, as Washington and Tehran have exchanged strikes, heightening tensions in the strait. "We can see the Iranians are trying to use the Strait of Hormuz as a choke point. It's not a choke point for the U.S., but it is a choke point for many other countries," the secretary said. "That will be bypassed in two years. In two years, the Strait of Hormuz will be like a worthless piece of water. Oil will be going on pipelines across the land," he added. During the Middle East war, Iran has effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial shipping route for oil, natural gas, fertilizer and other commodities. Disruptions to shipping in the strait have kept energy prices high, piling pressure on Washingto