White House denies escorting US tanker in Hormuz Strait

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright Posts and Deletes Claim About Military Escort in Strait of Hormuz

Energy Secretary Chris Wright posted a claim on social media early on Tuesday afternoon stating that the US military provided protection for an oil tanker traveling through the Strait of Hormuz. The post was later deleted within about 30 minutes.

In a news briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that the US Navy had not escorted a tanker or vessel at this time. “I can confirm that the US Navy has not escorted a tanker or a vessel at this time,” she said. “Though, of course, that’s an option the president has said he will absolutely utilize if and when necessary at the appropriate time.”

The Strait of Hormuz is a critical waterway for global energy trade, with over 20 percent of the world’s oil passing through it. The US and Israel launched a military operation against Iran on February 28, which has led to a halt in trade through the strait due to fears of Iranian strikes.

Wright initially reported that a tanker had passed through the strait with the help of the US military, praising President Donald Trump’s administration for the alleged intervention. The post was deleted without explanation.

The Iranian government suggested that the deleted post was an attempt to manipulate global oil markets. “U.S. officials are posting fake news to manipulate markets,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on social media. “Markets are facing biggest shortfall in HISTORY: bigger than Arab Oil Embargo, Iran’s Islamic Revolution and the Kuwait invasion COMBINED.”

The Trump administration has pledged US assistance for global shipping operations affected by the conflict. On March 3, President Trump posted that the US Development Finance Corporation would offer insurance and guarantees for vessels traveling through Hormuz at a “very reasonable price”. He also stated that military support may be available.

General Dan Caine, head of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, signalled on Tuesday that the military had not yet begun any operations to protect oil tankers in the strait. The inability to move oil through the Strait of Hormuz has been credited with causing oil prices to skyrocket, heightening public backlash across the globe.

Source: Al Jazeera