WASHINGTON – No U.S. military escorts have guided commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz yet, the White House clarified Tuesday, hours after Energy Secretary Chris Wright deleted an X post claiming Navy success in shepherding an oil tanker amid the U.S.-Israel war against Iran.
The conflict has frozen vital flows through the Iranian-coast chokepoint, where one-fifth of global oil and LNG typically transits. Middle East producers, out of storage, have halted pumping.
President Donald Trump pledged March 3 protections for tankers. Tuesday, the Pentagon escalated threats of harder Iran strikes absent resumed shipments, targeting mine-layers and storage sites.
Wright’s now-deleted X post boasted: U.S. Navy escorted a tanker “to ensure oil remains flowing to global markets.” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later contradicted, confirming zero escorts to date.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards spokesperson Ali Mohammad Naini dismissed it via state media: “Any movement of the U.S. fleet and allies will be stopped by our missiles and drones.”
Top U.S. general Dan Caine told Pentagon reporters the military is exploring escort options if ordered: “We’re looking at a range of options there.”