US seeks international help to reopen Strait of Hormuz as crude prices surge

<p>By Humeyra Pamuk</p><p>WASHINGTON/DUBAI/ISLAMABAD, April 29 (Reuters) - The United States is pressing ahead with plans for an international coalition to open the Strait of Hormuz, according to a State Department cable seen by Reuters, as oil prices surge on fears of lengthy disruptions to global fuel supplies.</p><p>Two months into the war that started with U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, the vital sea channel remains closed, choking off 20% of the world's supplies of oil and gas. That has sent global energy prices surging and heightened concerns about the risks of an economic downturn.</p>