Pentagon says Suez Canal traffic will impact US military

The traffic caused by the massive container ship getting stuck in the Suez Canal will impact the movement of US military vessels, the Pentagon said in a statement.

Toward the end of the Ever Given’s seven-day stint blocking the canal — which caused delays for over 365 ships carrying an array of goods — a Navy spokeswoman told The Hill that it would not comment on “specific operational impacts” while acknowledging that the longer the problem persisted, the greater its impacts would be.

“The Suez Canal is an essential maritime choke point, and the longer passage is suspended, the more impact it will have to civilian and military transits,” began the statement, from a public affairs officer with the US Naval Forces Central Command.

The statement continued by noting that the military had methods by which it could work around any problems that arose as a result of the situation.

“However, we have alternate capabilities to mitigate impact and support to our operations in U.S. Central Command’s area of responsibility throughout any extended blockage.”

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.

The logjam created by the 1,300-foot ship caused a massive traffic blockage in the vital waterway, holding up $9 billion each day in global trade and straining supply chains already burdened by the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is unclear whether the ship itself, which was originally hauling goods from Asia to Europe, will continue to its original destination of Rotterdam or if it will have to enter another port for repairs from the major mishap.

The White House said Friday it was working with Egyptian partners to get the enormous vessel moved out of the waterway. It chimed in after the tanker caused spikes in oil prices.

“We do see some potential impacts on energy markets,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Friday, noting the administration’s growing concerns as the issue continued to not get resolved.

“We’re tracking the situation very closely,” she added. “We understand that Egyptian officials are working to remove the tanker as soon as possible and continue traffic.”